HOLLAND 


DESCRIBED  BY  GREAT  WRITERS 


ESTHER  SINGLETON 


FROM  AMONO  THE  BOOKS 
OF    V.  W.  ROEN1G 


HOLLAND 


BOOKS  BY  MISS  SINGLETON 

TURRETS,   TOWERS,   AND   TEMPLES. 

GREAT     PICTURES     DESCRIBED      BY      GREAT 
WRITERS. 

GUIDE  TO  THE  OPERA. 

PARIS. 

WONDERS  OF  NATURE. 

ROMANTIC  CASTLES  AND   PALACES. 

LOVE    IN     LITERATURE    AND    ART. 

LONDON. 

FAMOUS    PAINTINGS. 

HISTORIC    BUILDINGS. 

THE  GOLDEN  ROD  FAIRY  BOOK. 

THE  WILD  FLOWER  FAIRY  BOOK. 

RUSSIA. 

JAPAN. 

FAMOUS  WOMEN. 

VENICE. 

GREAT    PORTRAITS    DESCRIBED    BY    GREAT 
WRITERS. 

HOLLAND. 


HOLLAND 

As  Seen  and  Described 
by  Famous  Writers 


Collected  and  Edited  by 

ESTHER    SINGLETON 


WITH     NUMEROUS     ILLUSTRATIONS 


Dodd,  Mead  and  Company 
1906 


COPYRIGHT,    1906,  BV 
DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANT 

Published,  March,  1906 


PREFACE 

The  purpose  of  this  book,  planned  on  similar  lines  to  my 
former  books  on  Japan  and  Russia,  is  to  furnish  the  traveller 
with  a  general  view  of  Holland.  From  many  writers  who 
treat  of  the  history,  topography,  manners  and  customs  and 
art  of  this  interesting  country,  I  have  selected  such  essays  and 
extracts  as  will  best  contribute  towards  this  end ;  and  have 
gathered  between  these  covers  such  descriptive  matter  and 
general  information  as  I  think  the  tourist  would  like  to 
carry  with  him,  or  to  refresh  his  memory  with  on  his  return. 

Holland  has  much  to  offer  to  the  traveller:  the  country 
alone,  with  its  meadows,  polders,  dykes  and  windmills,  its 
canals  and  curious  boats,  its  country-seats  and  farm-houses, 
its  cities  and  towns,  with  their  picturesque  architecture, 
presents  a  series  of  pictures  that  the  memory  will  ever  retain. 
To  the  student  of  history,  Holland  is  full  of  associations; 
the  art-lover  has  the  splendid  galleries  of  the  Rijks,  The 
Hague  and  the  Boymans,  and  the  antiquary  finds  innu- 
merable museums  in  the  small  towns.  Those  who  love  gaiety 
will  find  much  to  delight  them  at  the  "  Venice  of  the  North," 
The  Hague  and  Scheveningen. 

My  plan  has  been  to  conduct  the  traveller  from  Amster- 
dam through  North  Holland  into  Friesland  and  Groningen, 
then  along  the  shores  of  the  Zuyder  Zee  into  the  Eastern 
provinces  of  Drenthe,  Over-Yssel  and  Guelderland  to 


vi  PREFACE 

Utrecht,  South  Holland,  Limburg,  Zealand,  South  Holland 
again  and  North  Brabant,  thus  obtaining  a  bird's  eye  view 
of  each  province. 

I  have  ventured  to  include  two  brief  descriptions  of 
Amsterdam  and  Rotterdam,  written  last  summer  during 
my  stay  in  those  cities,  when  I  also  selected  the  illustrations. 

E.  S. 

NEW  YORK,  January,  1906. 


CONTENTS 


PART   I 

THE    COUNTRY    AND    RACE 


The    Country 
Hydraulic    Works 
The   Dutch   Race 


The    Netherlands 


Amsterdam     . 
Zaandam 
Maarken 
Alkmaar 


Louis  van  Keymeulen 

Alphonie  Esquiros 

Zaborjiuski 

PART    II 
HISTORY 

Edward  A.  Freeman 

PART   III 

DESCRIPTIONS 

Esther  Singleton 

Edmondo  de  Amicis 

Charles  S.  Pelham-CHnton 

Edmondo  de  Amicis 
vii 


PAGE 

I 


13 

26 


33 


43 
59 
68 

74 


viii  CONTENTS 

PACE 
In    the    North    Holland    Polders      ......       79 

J.    Ballingal 

Leeuwarden    and    Groningen          ......       85 

Henry   Harvard 

Shores  of   the   Zuyder   Zee:   Hoorn   and    Enkhuisen         .          .       90 
Katherine  S.  and  G.  S.  Alacquoid 

Zwolle — Deventer — Loo — Zutphen — Arnhem — Nymegen    .          .     104 
Henry   Hazard 

Utrecht          .          .........     120 

Richard  Lovett 

On    Dutch    Waterways          .......     124 

G.   Christopher  Davies 

Haarlem         ........  .     141 

Richard  Lovett 

On    a    Dutch    Bulb-Farm       .......     145 

S.  L.  Bensusan 

Venlo   and   Maastricht    .          .          .          .          .          .          .  153 

Henry  Howard 

Middelburg       ...          .          .          .          .  .          .162 

George  H.  Boughton 

The    Hague          .          ........     170 

Richard  Lovett 

On  a  Bike  in  the  Bosch         .          .          .          .          .          .  174 

Countess  of  Malmsbury 

Scheveningen    and    the    Dunes        ......     182 

Edmondo  de  Amicis 

Leyden   and   Delft          ....).  .          .     189 

Richard  Lovett 

Rotterdam  .  .  .......     195 

Esther   Singleton 

Dordrecht      ........  .     199 

Sir  Walter  Armstrong 

Breda    and    S'Hertogenbosch  ...  .     204 

Henry  Havard 


CONTENTS  ix 

PART    IV 
MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

PAGE 

Life  on  the  Water 215 

Alphonse  Esguiros 

Houses         .          . 229 

Frederick  Spencer  Bird 

Country  Life ...     233 

C.  J.  Cornish 

The  Dutch  Peasantry 248 

S.  I.  De  Zuylen  de  Nyevelt 

Dutch   Fisheries          .  .  ......     262 

Alphonse  Esguiros 

Skating    and    Sleighing 271 

Edmondo  de  Amicis 

Food  and  Flowers         ........     277 

Frederick  Spencer  Bird 

The   Cafe   Krasnapolsky 283 

S.  L.  Bensusan 

The   Friesland    Cap 291 

Emma  B reiver 

The  Kermesse 296 

Frederick  Spencer  Bird 

PART   V 

PAINTING 

Painting        ..........     302 

E.  Durand-Greville 

PART    VI 
STATISTICS 

Statistics        .  325 

E.S. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

General  View  of  Rotterdam     ...                .  Frontispiece 

Fishing  Boats  Landing  Their  Catch      .        .        .  Facing  Page         To 

Dyke  with  Windmills,  in  South  Holland     .        .  20 

Fisherman's  Kitchen,  Maarken      ....  30 
Residence  of  the  Princes  of  the  House  of  Orange, 

The  Hague 40 

Heerengracht,  Amsterdam              ....  "         "            50 

On  the  Zaan "         "            60 

Entrance  to  the  Groote  Kerkbuurt.  Maarken      .  68 

The  Weighing- House,  Alkmaar    ....  "         "            74 

The  New  Canal,  Leeuwarden         ....  "         "            86 

Monnikendam 94 

Harbour  Tower  (Water  Gate),  Hoora  ...  98 

Broek  in  the  Waterland "         "          102 

The  Great  Market,  Arnhem "         "          116 

Cattle  Market,  Utrecht "         "          122 

Mantalbaans  Tower,  Amsterdam  ....  130 

Gateway,  Delft 138 

Town  Gate,  Haarlem       .                ....  142 

Bulb  Farm,  near  Haarlem 150 

Market  Place  and  Town  Hall,  Middelburg         .  162 

Old  Church  and  Town  Hall,  The  Hague    .  "                     170 

House  in  the  Wood,  The  Hague  "         "          178 

Beach  at  Scheveningen 182 

Market  Place  and  Old  Church,  Delft    .        .        .  •'         "          192 
Scheepmakers'    Haven  (Shipbuilders'    Harbour), 

Rotterdam "         "          196 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Kalkhaven,  Dordrecht Facing  Page       200 

Boats  on  a  Rotterdam  Canal "         "          216 

Koninginne  Gracht,  The  Hague    ....  222 

Houses  in  Leyden 230 

Country  House  on  Leidsche  Dam,  near  Voorburg  234 

Typical  Farm,  South  Holland        ....  248 

The  Herring  Fleet,  Rotterdam       ....  262 

Milk  Inspector  for  Town  Tax       ....  278 

The  Dam,  Amsterdam 248 

The  Night  Watch  (Rembrandt)     ....  "         "           302 

The  Jester  (Frans  Hals) 304 

Banquet  of  the  Arquebusiers  (B.  Vander  Heist)  "         "          310 

The  Bull  (Paul  Potter) "         "          316 

The  Queen  of  Holland ••        "          326 


CTHE   COUNTRY 

LOUIS  VAN  KEYMEULEN 

IN  the  northwest  corner  of  the  Continent  of  Europe,  on 
the  borders  of  the  North  Sea,  which,  sometimes  lapping 
and  sometimes  beating,  surrounds  it  with  its  dull  green 
waves,  there  lies  a  mass  of  sand  and  alluvion  which  rises 
almost  imperceptibly  by  gentle  inclines  to  join  itself  to  the 
plains  of  Lower  Germany  and  the  moorlands  of  Belgium. 

Gnawed  by  waves,  swept  by  hurricanes,  washed  by 
long  and  frequent  rains,  enveloped  in  mist  and  fog,  and 
saturated  with  water  like  a  sponge,  this  wet  land,  without 
consistency,  may  be  said  to  resemble  a  boneless  body  whose 
vascular  system  is  monstrously  exaggerated.  The  arteries 
here  are  rivers,  rivulets  and  brooks;  and  the  veins  are  canals, 
dykes,  and  trenches.  In  this  network  whose  threads  inter- 
sect and  mingle  in  an  infinite  number  of  ways,  the  water 
ripples  or  sleeps, — that  blood  of  Holland  which  gives  her 
life  and  which  sometimes  threatens  to  destroy  her. 

Three  large  rivers,  enriched  by  innumerable  affluents, 
bring  to  the  Low  Countries  the  waters  of  Central  Europe 
as  well  as  a  prodigious  mass  of  terrestrial  alluvion.  These 
are  the  Scheldt  and  the  Maas  (Meuse),  which,  coming  from 
France,  pass  through  Belgium  and  enter  the  territory  of  the 
Low  Countries  on  the  southern  frontier,  one  on  the  west, 
the  other  on  the  east;  then  both  turn  to  the  left  and  throw 
themselves  into  the  sea,  the  first  by  means  of  two  mouths, 
the  second  by  three. 


2  HOLLAND 

The  Rhine  comes  from  Germany  and  passes  the  fron- 
tier on  the  southeast  at  an  altitude  of  fifteen  metres  above 
the  level  of  the  port  of  Amsterdam.  It  has  barely  entered 
the  territory  of  the  Netherlands,  when  it  divides  into  two 
arms.  The  one  on  the  left — the  Waal — carries  off  two- 
thirds  of  the  water,  turns  towards  the  west,  and  re-uniting 
at  Loevenstein  with  one  of  the  arms  of  the  Maas  then  takes 
the  name  of  Merwede,  passes  to  Dordrecht,  and,  under 
the  name  of  the  Maas,  empties  into  the  sea.  The  one  on 
the  right  divides  at  Arnhem  into  two  arms,  of  which  the 
more  western,  the  new  Yssel,  flows  into  the  Zuyder  Zee. 
The  other  divides  again,  and  forms  on  the  left  the  Lek, 
which  reunites  with  the  Maas,  while  the  arm  on  the  right 
divides  in  its  turn,  at  Utrecht,  into  the  Vecht,  flowing  into 
the  Zuyder  Zee,  and  into  the  Old  Rhine.  The  latter  for- 
merly extravasated  itself  into  pools  and  marshes  upon  the 
sands,  the  feeble  current  not  being  able  to  overcome  the 
obstacles.  In  1808,  the  ocean  was  opened  to  it  at  Katwijk 
by  a  canal  provided  with  colossal  sluices. 

In  the  delta  of  the  Rhine,  south  of  the  Merwede,  is  a 
vast  fluvial  district  call  the  Bilsbosch,  which  recalls  one  of 
the  most  terrible  inundations  of  which  Holland  has  been 
the  theatre.  On  the  i8th  of  November,  1421,  on  Saint 
Elizabeth's  Day,  a  furious  tempest  from  the  northwest  broke 
the  dykes  that  protected  this  part  of  South  Holland.  The 
country  was  submerged,  a  hundred  thousand  persons  per- 
ished and  seventy-two  villages  were  engulfed.  They  at- 
tempted to  drain  and  dyke  the  territory  of  thirty-eight  of 
them,  but  the  others  form  to-day  an  archipelago  of  seventy 


THE    COUNTRY  3 

odd  islets,  the  most  of  them  uninhabited  and  covered  with 
reeds  separated  by  narrow  canals. 

In  this  maritime  country  the  maritime  province  par 
excellence  is  Zeeland  (country  of  the  sea).  Situated  in  the 
southwest  of  the  kingdom,  it  is  composed  of  seven  islands: 
Walcheren,  North  and  South  Beveland,  Tholen,  Schouwen, 
Duiveland  and  Saint  Philipsland,  formed  by  the  two  arms 
of  the  Scheldt  and  one  of  the  arms  of  the  Maas.  It  also 
comprises  a  continental  part,  Zeeland  Flanders,  which  forms 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  western  Scheldt  a  straight  band  of 
territory,  invaded  by  the  ocean  in  the  Fifteenth  Century  and 
reconquered  again  by  it  and  again  drained,  and  which,  geo- 
graphically, belongs  more  to  Belgium  than  to  Holland. 

North  of  the  Zeeland  archipelago  and  the  estuaries  of 
the  Maas  and  the  Scheldt  extends  the  littoral  of  the  two 
Hollands,  the  north  and  the  south,  the  line  of  which  is 
lightly  deflected  towards  the  northeast.  It  forms  a  sandy 
shore,  above  which  rise  the  dunes  that  form  here  a  natural 
rampart  against  the  invasions  of  the  ocean. 

These  dunes  are  hills  of  sand,  whose  height  does  not 
surpass  fifteen  metres.  They  form  several  parallel  lines 
that  rarely  attain  a  league  in  width.  Thanks  to  the  frequent 
rains  and  the  humidity  that  habitually  saturates  the  atmos- 
phere the  white  sand  of  which  they  are  composed  is  of  a 
certain  fixity.  Sometimes,  however,  it  happens  that  the  vio- 
lent tempests  displace  the  dunes  or  cause  them  to  roll  down 
into  the  valleys  separating  them.  As  a  whole,  these  small 
sierras  look  like  waves  suddenly  congealed. 

On   the   summit   of   the   dunes   vegetation    is    rare   and 


4  HOLLAND 

meagre.  The  broom  is  the  only  plant  robust  enough  to 
resist  the  wet  and  chilly  storms  from  the  sea  as  well  as  the 
dry  blasts  from  the  northeast.  Its  long  green  plumes  sway 
and  writhe  in  all  the  winds,  whilst  its  sloping  roots,  pushed 
out  in  all  directions  help  to  bind  the  soil. 

In  the  valleys  the  flora  is  richer  and  more  varied.  Patches 
of  green  and  yellow  moss  stand  out  from  the  tawny 
white  of  the  sand.  Rushes,  grasses  and  thistles  are  the 
neighbours  of  tufts  of  violets  and  broom.  The  dune  rose 
opens  its  white  corolla  beside  the  pink  blossom  of  the  eglan- 
tine, and  the  thyme  mingles  its  aromatic  odour  with  the 
resinous  effluvium  of  the  pines  and  the  junipers,  whose  som- 
bre tints  contrast  with  the  light  foliage  of  some  small 
poplars  and  occasional  clumps  of  stunted  birches  and 
willows. 

A  deep  melancholy  reigns  upon  the  dunes.  They  are 
indeed  mournful  under  the  white  light  of  the  spring  sun- 
shine. At  the  approach  of  a  tempest,  when  the  sky  is  veiled 
with  inky  clouds,  they  become  really  sinister.  Then,  beneath 
that  black  vault,  a  wan  light  seems  to  issue  from  the  whitish 
sand  and  -you  are  seized  with  anguish,  as  if  it  were  the  land- 
scape of  a  nightmare. 

On  the  dunes  are  perched  the  villages  of  fishermen,  the 
most  celebrated  of  which  is  Scheveningen,  which  dominates 
a  wave  of  fine  sand  in  a  gentle  decline  and  which  has  become 
during  the  bathing-season  the  rendez-vous  of  fashionable 
Dutch  society  and  of  a  polyglot  crowd  of  cosmopolitan  world- 
lings. Beyond  the  dunes  like  a  quiet  sea  extends  the  immense 
green  plain  of  Holland.  Only  three  or  four  small  hillocks 


THE    COUNTRY  5 

at    Amersfoort,    Gooiland,    Leyden    and    Bergen-op-Zoom 
break  this  monotonous  flatness. 

This  region,  whose  sandy  soil  was  formerly  covered  with 
impenetrable  forests,  is  of  a  marvellous  fertility.  It  is  truly 
the  garden  of  Holland,  a  sort  of  northern  Eden,  with  land- 
scapes that  evoke  ideas  of  placid  happiness  and  pious  poetry. 
Fields  of  wheat,  flax  and  colza  alternate  with  the  vast 
kitchen-gardens  whose  squares  of  green,  white  and  red  cab- 
bages, beside  long  rows  of  poles,  invisible  under  the  light 
foliage  and  the  long,  pendulous  pods  of  the  beans  and  peas, 
variegate  the  scene  with  harshly  contrasted  colours.  Then 
there  are  orchards  full  of  fruit-trees,  where  all  imaginable 
flowers  are  cultivated  on  a  large  scale,  fields  of  roses 
beside  fields  of  strawberries,  interminable  greenhouses, 
whose  glass  panes  shining  under  the  bright  sunlight  shelter 
marvellous  orchids,  incomparable  chrysanthemums  and  all 
kinds  of  exotic  flowers.  English  parks  surround  the  villas, 
which  are  samples  of  every  kind  of  architecture  and  painted 
in  all  the  light  and  striking  colours  in  the  scale.  In  the 
meadows  where  the  thick  high  grass  is  of  an  incomparable 
green  owing  to  the  wetness,  handsome  cows,  mostly  black 
and  white,  pasture  tranquilly,  sometimes  raising  their  heads 
to  follow  with  their  serene  eyes,  like  those  of  an  Asiatic 
goddess,  the  square  sail  of  a  pinnace  gliding  on  the  mirror- 
like  canal  behind  the  road  planted  with  limes,  where  a  horse 
walks  slowly  upon  the  tow-path  drawing  the  trekschuyt, 
the  Dutchman's  water  conveyance.  Everywhere  on  the 
horizon  are  outlined  the  large  windmills,  which  are  one  of 
the  most  characteristic  traits  of  the  Dutch  landscape.  Often 


6  HOLLAND 

made  of  wood  and  affecting  the  form  of  a  little  square  house 
placed  on  a  sort  of  pedestal,  and  sometimes  made  of  stone  with 
a  round  or  polygonal  tower,  they  are  surrounded  half-way 
up  with  a  circ"lar  gallery  that  serves  as  a  kind  of  balcony, 
and  they  are  painted  in  the  brightest  colours.  They  work  the 
pumps  used  to  drain  the  sunken  land,  grind  grain,  thresh 
rice  and  barley,  triturate  chicory,  pulverise  shells  for  cement, 
and  perform  many  other  industrial  duties. 

Forests  are  rare ;  some  small  pine  woods  are  to  be  found 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  dunes,  and  near  Alkmaar,  Haar- 
lem and  The  Hague  are  woods  in  which  the  beech,  which 
sometimes  attains  a  colossal  size,  dominates. 

The  roads,  often  paved  with  hard  bricks  and  perfectly 
arranged  and  kept  up  with  a  care  that  makes  Holland  the 
paradise  of  cyclists,  are  bordered  with  elms,  willows  and 
mountain  ashes  or  limes.  One  of  the  most  beautiful,  without 
any  doubt,  is  that  which  leads  from  The  Hague  to  Scheven- 
ingen  between  rows  of  ancient  trees  throughout  its  extent 
of  three  miles,  and  bordering  it  are  innumerable  country 
villas  with  bright  flower-gardens  that  perfume  the  air. 

A  part  of  Dutch  soil  was  formerly  covered  with  large 
lakes,  lagoons  and  marshes  formed  by  the  invasions  of  the 
sea  and  the  overflowing  of  the  rivers.  Since  the  end  of  the 
Sixteenth  Century  the  greater  number  have  been  dyked, 
drained  and  converted  into  pastures  and  agricultural  lands 
at  the  cost  of  persevering  efforts  and  enormous  expense. 
These  are  called  polders,  and  these  low  regions,  often  several 
metres  below  the  sea-level,  are  no  less  fertile  and  cultivated 
than  the  zone  which  is  soon  to  be  described,  but  they  present 


THE    COUNTRY  7 

a  very  different  aspect  and  one  that  is  absolutely  character- 
istic. Everything  here  reveals  a  human  creation  made  on  a 
utilitarian  and  practical  plan — the  work  of  engineers,  geo- 
metricians and  agriculturists.  The  parcels  of  land  are  per- 
fectly rectangular  and  are  bordered  with  straight  roads  and 
crossed  by  canals  and  ditches  that  cut  them  at  right  angles. 
The  picturesque  is  represented  solely  by  the  mills  for  drain- 
ing them,  and  these  standing  on  the  dykes  in  rows — some- 
times numbering  a  hundred — show  on  the  horizon  their  high 
silhouettes  and  the  febrile  motion  of  their  long  arms. 

There  are  four  islands  in  the  Zuyder  Zee:  Wieingen; 
Urk,  which  the  families  of  fishermen  share  with  seals; 
Schokland,  so  often  submerged  that  the  inhabitants  aban- 
doned it  in  1845 ;  and,  finally,  Maarken,  whose  population,  in 
its  picturesque  costume,  has  established  its  dwellings,  its 
church  and  its  cemetery  upon  eight  artificial  hillocks,  the 
peaks  only  emerging  from  the  sea. 

Low  banks,  dyked  in  the  dangerously  menaced  places, 
bordered  with  meadows,  fields  and  gardens  broken  by  the 
outlets  of  rivers  and  canals,  surround  the  Zuyder  Zee  from 
North  Holland  to  Friesland  in  traversing  the  provinces  of 
Utrecht,  Over-Yssel  and  Drenthe. 

West  of  the  Zuyder  Zee  is  situated  Friesland,  joined  by 
a  bridge  across  the  islands  of  the  coast  to  the  most  northern 
point  of  Holland.  On  the  littoral  of  Friesland  and  Gronin- 
gen,  which  lies  east  of  it,  the  sea  recoils  before  the  invasion 
of  the  land.  Incessant  deposits  of  marine  alluvion  elevate 
the  nodden,  those  soft  shores  whose  mud  shines  in  the  sun- 
light and  which  form  a  transition  between  the  earth  and  the 


8  HOLLAND 

ocean.  Soon  the  sea-weeds  and  marsh-grasses  spring  up  and 
salt  meadows  are  formed;  here  flocks  of  sheep  come  to  pas- 
ture where  seals  once  sported  and  swam.  Finally,  the 
engineers  come  to  dyke  and  drain  and  dig  canals  and  ditches. 
A  new  district  is  conquered  from  the  sea. 

The  fat  pastures  and  the  opulent  glebes  of  Groningen 
form  a  vast  and  verdurous  plain  whose  flatness  is  broken  only 
by  the  terpen,  little  hillocks,  which  are  the  work  of  the  people 
who  sought  refuge  upon  them  before  the  dykes  were  built. 
On  every  side  the  horizon  is  lost  to  sight  beneath  the  mists, 
which  are  sometimes  white  and  transparent,  and  sometimes 
grey  and  opaque.  Here  and  there  the  landscape  is  enlivened 
by  a  spruce  little  village,  grouped  around  its  pointed  clock- 
tower.  A  grove  of  trees  half  hides  a  farm-house,  low  but 
spacious  and  prepossessing  in  appearance;  in  Friesland  it  has 
two  stories;  in  Groningen,  it  has  all  the  comfort  and  luxury 
of  a  town  house. 

Here,  as  everywhere  in  Holland,  the  country  is  cut  by 
beautiful  shady  roads  and  a  labyrinth  of  canals  for  naviga- 
tion, irrigation  and  drainage.  In  Groningen  and  Friesland 
there  are  immense  bogs  which  spread  over  a  portion  of  the 
provinces  of  Drenthe  and  Over-Yssel  and  continue  into  Guel- 
derland  and  Brabant  on  the  borders  of  the  Zuyder  Zee  and 
along  the  Lek,  the  Vecht  and  the  Maas,  covering  a  part  of 
the  peninsula  of  North  Holland,  and  in  certain  places  only 
ending  at  the  foot  of  the  dunes. 

The  landscape  of  the  bogs  is  characteristic.  It  is  a 
sad  and  solitary  plain,  covered  with  marsh-grass;  and  here 
and  there  rises  a  willow  or  a  group  of  bushes  fantastic  in 


THE    COUNTRY  9 

form.  Among  the  rushes  and  the  reeds  are  sleepy  ponds 
whose  stagnant  water,  coloured  by  organic  matter,  is  often 
of  a  brownish  or  violet  hue.  In  the  high  regions,  like  Dren- 
the,  which  rises  about  sixteen  metres  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  one  sees  sometimes  towards  the  end  of  the  summer  a 
rising  smoke  that  covers  the  whole  country  and  veils  the 
horizon  with  its  clouds  and  from  which  issues  a  penetrating 
odour  that  the  wind  carries  as  far  as  Belgium,  Germany  and 
even  the  north  of  France.  The  soil  is  burning  for  hun- 
dreds of  acres.  The  peasants  have  set  fire  to  it  by  means  of 
a  torch.  When  the  fire  is  extinguished,  the  ashes  are  mingled 
with  the  sub-soil.  In  the  following  spring  the  fields  will  be 
in  a  flourishing  state  in  the  places  thus  fertilised.  More  and 
more,  however,  is  this  system  being  supplanted  by  more 
scientific  and  rational  methods. 

Often,  in  the  ditches  dug  to  extract  the  peat,  are  found 
the  trunks  of  pines,  oaks  and  poplars, — the  debris  of  the 
forests  that  covered  the  country  in  the  first  centuries  of  our 
era.  There,  where  the  spongy,  soft  and  muddy  bed  vibrates 
and  trembles  beneath  your  foot,  these  trees  rise  slowly  and 
finally  emerge  above  the  surface.  In  the  bogs  of  the  lower 
regions  another  phenomenon  is  occasionally  seen.  A  portion 
of  the  bank  of  a  lake  is  suddenly  detached,  and,  driven  by 
the  wind,  becomes  a  floating  island.  Whole  meadows  have 
been  seen  to  part  from  the  bank  with  the  cows  upon  them 
continuing  to  graze  peacefully. 

The  region  of  the  landes  borders  that  of  the  bogs  in 
the  provinces  of  the  southeast.  Here  the  country  is  at  once 
dryer  and  flatter.  Under  the  greyish  brown  mantle  of  the 


io  HOLLAND 

heath  that  covers  it,  it  undulates  in  folds  and  in  Guelderland 
even  swells  into  a  series  of  hills,  half  arid  and  naked  and 
half  covered  with  pines,  which  forms  the  chain  of  the  Veluwe. 
In  places  a -tuft  of  green  broom  with  yellow  flowers  stands 
out  upon  the  sombre  uniformity  of  the  heaths  that  carpet  the 
ground.  When  August  comes,  the  heath  blossoms  gaily  in 
pink  and  violet,  and  the  air  is  filled  with  the  humming  of 
bees.  The  juniper  with  its  almost  black  foliage  stands  soli- 
tary in  these  steppes  whose  horizons  inspire  inexpressible  sad- 
ness and  vague  terror.  In  the  midst  of  such  solitude,  where 
nothing  speaks  of  man  nor  the  work  of  man,  it  is  hard  to 
believe  that  you  are  in  Holland.  In  the  far  distance  the 
silence  is  occasionally  broken  by  the  joyous  note  of  the  lark, 
or  the  rapid  and  gentle  tramp  of  a  flock  of  sheep  that  are 
grazing  here  and  there  in  a  more  moist  hollow.  Occasional 
huts  with  pointed  roofs  shelter  some  poor  peasants  who  try 
to  fertilise  this  corner  of  the  earth,  so  arid  and  ungrateful 
in  the  eyes  of  the  agriculturist,  but  so  full  of  charm  for  the 
poet  and  dreamer. 

In  the  heaths  of  Drenthe,  vaster  than  all  the  others, 
are  found  erratic  blocks  of  granite  brought  from  Scandinavia 
by  the  waves  of  the  North  Sea.  Sometimes  portions  of  these 
rocks,  coarsely  chipped  and  piled  together,  cover  sepulchres 
which  are  called  in  this  country  "  beds  of  the  Huns,"  but 
which  are  probably  of  Celtic  origin,  whilst  the  tumuli  in  the 
neighbourhood  are  the  work  of  the  Germans. 

Here,  where  many  rivulets  meander  through  groves  of 
elms  and  birches,  the  grass  grows  thick  and  high,  affording 
pasturage  to  milch  cows  and  fattening  oxen,  while  farms 


THE    COUNTRY  n 

with  thatched  roofs  are  shaded  by  leafy  elms,  and  little  vil- 
lages are  picturesquely  grouped  around  their  church. 

In  Limburg,  the  most  southern  of  the  provinces  of  Hol- 
land, lying  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Maas  in  the  form  of  a 
long  narrow  band,  you  feel  far  away  from  the  land  of 
polders,  dykes  and  canals.  Geographically,  you  are  on  Bel- 
gian soil. 

At  once  fertile  and  picturesque,  Limburg  exhibits  a 
rich  culture  of  cereals  and  industrial  plants,  side  by  side 
with  attractive  and  pretty  rather  than  magnificent  land- 
scapes. Numerous  rivulets  with  clear  and  lively  waters, 
rapid  of  motion,  wind  capriciously  in  the  depths  of  the  ver- 
durous valleys  between  the  hills  partly  covered  with  woods 
in  which  coniferous  trees  predominate.  Here  and  there  a 
feudal  ruin  rears  its  silhouette  on  the  top  of  an  escarpment. 
Little  torrents  of  water  descend  in  foam  and  turn  the  wheel 
of  some  mill.  The  valley  of  the  Geul  and  that  of  the  Gulp 
offer  particularly  fresh  and  gracious  landscapes.  To  the 
traveller  who  comes  from  a  visit  to  the  polders  of  Beemster 
and  the  bogs  of  Friesland,  the  miniature  mountains  here,  of 
which  Bescheiberg,  of  two  hundred  metres,  is  the  highest, 
seem  Alps  or  Himalayas. 

Near  the  Maas  and  on  the  Belgian  frontier  there  rises 
the  mountain  of  Saint  Peter,  a  hundred  and  twenty  metres 
high,  perforated,  pierced  and  hollowed  out  by  the  quarries 
that  furnish  calcareous  stones  for  the  whole  country.  This 
labyrinth  of  about  two  thousand  galleries  has  served  as  a 
refuge  for  entire  populations  during  the  religious  wars.  On 
the  east,  near  the  Prussian  frontier,  is  the  coal-mine  of 


1 2  HOLLAND 

Kerkrade,  whose  layers  then  even  with  the  ground  were 
exploited  as  early  as  the  Twelfth  Century.  It  is  the  only 
coal-mine  in  the  kingdom. 

Politically,  one  step  to  the  right  or  one  step  to  the  left, 
and  we  are  out  of  the  Netherlands.  Geographically,  we  have 
already  left  the  country. 


HYDRAULIC   WORKS 

ALPHONSE  ESQUIROS 

WHEN  the  first  inhabitants  arrived  on  the  soil  of 
the  Netherlands,  what  did  they  find  ?  A  marsh. 
Fortunately  these  ancient  pioneers  were  Bata- 
vians  and  Prisons;  the  former  belonged  to  the  Saxon  race,  a 
race  patient  and  powerful,  born  for  the  conquest  of  the  soil  ; 
while  the  Prisons,  whose  origin  is  not  thoroughly  known, 
were  a  branch  of  the  Germanic  or  Saxon  family.  They  came 
in  the  train  of  ice  and  erratic  boulders;  for  the  deluges  of 
man  follow  the  path  traced  by  nature  in  the  great  outbursts 
of  the  elements.  These  barbarians  wanted  a  country,  and 
vowed  to  give  themselves  one.  It  was  a  world  to  form ;  they 
must  begin  as  in  the  ancient  cosmogonies,  by  separating  the 
earth  from  the  surface  of  the  waters.  The  cradle  of  the 
Netherlands  consisted  of  a  few  sterile,  shifting  spots  of 
ground,  the  possession  of  which  the  overflowing  rivers  and 
high  tides  disputed  with  each  other. 

The  genius  of  the  Netherlands  has  grown  in  an  inces- 
sant struggle  with  the  elements.  This  country,  inhabited  by 
a  numerous  and  flourishing  population,  is  entirely  artificial. 
Were  it  not  for  the  Dutch,  Holland  would  not  exist.  This 
country  is  their  work,  their  creation,  and  they  have  a  right 
to  say,  in  the  words  of  the  Bible,  et  vidit  quod  esset  bonum. 
Were  it  not  for  art,  such  a  region  would  never  have  seen 
light.  Were  it  not  for  the  incessant  vigilance  of  its  inhab- 

13 


1 4  HOLLAND 

itants,  it  would  speedily  be  lost.  Its  birth  is  a  miracle  of 
human  genius;  its  preservation,  a  prodigy. 

The  hydraulic  history  of  the  Netherlands  may  be  divided 
into  three  periods:  the  dyke-works,  undertaken  against  the 
sea  and  rivers;  the  creation  of  polders;  and  the  employment 
of  machines  to  dry  the  internal  lakes. 

The  first  inhabitants  encamped  on  hillocks  and  mounds 
themselves  raised.  This  position  was  necessarily  molested  by 
the  peculiar  state  of  the  rivers,  which  were  a  species  of  vaga- 
bond torrents  inconstant  to  their  bed,  and  at  each  movement 
ravaged  the  timid  essays  of  cultivation.  It  was  requisite 
that  art  should  give  banks  to  the  streams  and  the  waters 
learn  to  flow  regularly  to  the  sea.  The  first  date  of  dyking 
the  country  cannot  be  established,  but  it  is  believed  that  the 
Cimbri  formed  dykes  which  were  destroyed  but  afterwards 
restored  on  the  same  foundations.  These  artificial  banks 
protected  the  growing  cultivation;  without  them  Holland 
would  have  remained  what  it  originally  was,  an  uninhabit- 
able land.  A  tradition  has  it  that  the  first  dyke  in  Southern 
Holland  was  formed  against  the  Rhine  in  the  lowlands  in 
the  vicinity  of  Leyden.  This  system  spread,  and  similar 
works  were  employed  to  prevent  the  irruption  of  the  Meuse. 
Historians  are  not  agreed  as  to  the  origin  of  these  works, 
some  attributing  them  to  the  lords,  others  to  the  people.  The 
nobility  had  formerly  a  share  in  the  establishment  of  dykes, 
but  it  would  be  an  error  to  suppose  that  the  castles  were  the 
starting-point  of  the  hydraulic  system,  for  many  towers  which 
command  the  course  of  rivers  and  streams  are,  on  the  con- 
trary, of  a  much  more  recent  date  than  the  embankments. 


HYDRAULIC    WORKS  15 

These  ramparts  of  earth  were  at  first  constructed  district- 
wise  :  the  proprietors  of  the  soil  clubbed  and  formed  a  species 
of  nautical  insurance  to  protect  themselves  against  the  over- 
flow of  the  waters.  The  hydraulic  districts  were  more  or 
less  extensive,  more  or  less  constituted  in  accordance  with  the 
defensive  requirements.  Not  only  were  the  feudal  nobility 
strangers  to  the  movement,  but  the  administration  of  the 
waters  (Waterstaat)  gave  birth  to  a  new  nobility  of  thor- 
oughly plebeian  origin.  The  Counts  of  the  Dykes,  as  the 
inspectors  intrusted  with  watching  the  streams  were  called, 
enjoyed  very  extensive  powers,  which,  at  periods  of  a  crisis, 
surpassed  even  the  authority  of  the  Counts  properly  so  called. 

Everywhere  nobility  was  originally  grafted  on  the  con- 
ditions of  conquest,  and  as  in  Holland  the  enemy  was  the 
ground,  those  functions  which  produced  the  victory  of  man 
over  the  elements  were  from  the  earliest  period  honoured. 
Before  the  Christian  era,  Drusus  had  a  canal  dug  to  join  the 
Yssel  with  a  branch  of  the  Rhine;  half  a  century  later,  the 
Romans  connected  another  branch  of  the  Rhine  with  the 
Lek,  which  at  that  period  was  but  a  small  stream;  and 
lastly,  in  our  time,  gigantic  works  have  united  the  same  river 
to  the  North  Sea.  It  would  be  too  long  a  task  to  recall  the 
other  conquests  gained  over  the  rivers  of  Holland,  those 
dangerous  friends  of  the  country. 

The  processes  of  embankment  vary  with  the  obstacles 
that  have  to  be  surmounted.  At  one  spot  the  dykes  are  sim- 
ple earthwalls;  elsewhere  the  uneven  or  shifting  soil  is  cov- 
ered with  a  layer  of  fascines,  while  in  some  instances  it  is 
necessary  to  support  these  ramparts  with  brickwork.  In 


1 6  HOLLAND 

spite  of  these  great  labours,  well  adapted  to  give  a  grand 
idea  of  the  people  that  made  them,  the  state  of  the  Dutch 
rivers  leaves  much  to  desire. 

The  education  of  rivers,  if  we  may  be  permitted  to  em- 
ploy the  image,  would  have  been  as  nothing  without  another 
system  of  embankment  and  protection  against  the  sea.  The 
ocean,  that  great  destroying  force,  limits  itself  by  its  dunes; 
but  human  industry  has  been  obliged  to  support  and  fortify 
the  girdle  of  sand  behind  which  the  Netherlands  are  shel- 
tered. As  the  country  is  generally  flat,  these  dunes  form 
relative  chains  of  mountains.  These  advanced  works,  which 
seem,  as  it  were,  a  bulwark  against  the  waters  and  a  shelter 
from  the  tempest,  require  constant  repairs.  The  Dutch 
cover  these  dunes  with  a  species  of  bulrush  or  reed,  which 
is  known  by  the  name  of  Arundo  arenosa,  or  Sand  Reed. 
It  is  planted  in  spring  or  autumn,  and  protected  from  dan- 
gerous winds  by  straw.  When  this  weed  has  taken  root, 
it  unites  and  consolidates  the  shifting  mass  of  sand;  it  is  the 
vegetable  cement  of  the  Dutch  coast.  The  dunes  have,  in 
addition  to  the  wind,  a  very  serious  enemy  in  the  rabbit. 
This  indefatigable  miner  craftily  attacks  the  dry  soil,  which 
stands  like  a  padding  between  the  sea  and  the  interior  of  the 
country.  Hence  a  constant  surveillance  is  requisite  to  repair 
the  damage  committed  by  this  feeble  animal.  On  all  those 
points  of  the  littoral  where  these  natural  dykes  did  not  exist, 
they  have  been  created ;  sometimes  it  has  even  been  necessary 
to  strengthen  them  with  wood,  stone  or  rubble.  The  sight 
of  these  works  gives  a  lofty  idea  of  human  power;  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  imagine  how  much  perseverance,  courage  and  sagacity 


HYDRAULIC   WORKS  17 

the  Dutch  have  displayed  in  this  combined  system  of  artificial 
and  natural  defences,  which  now  form  Holland's  buckler 
against  the  sea. 

In  order  to  understand  the  extent  and  nature  of  the 
dangers  to  which  the  Netherlands  are  daily  exposed,  we 
must  describe  what  the  Dutch  engineers  call  the  water-scale. 
A  large  portion  of  the  Netherlands  is  situated  much  below 
the  level  of  the  sea  and  the  rivers.  To  estimate  these  differ- 
ences of  position,  art  has  traced  an  imaginary  line,  which  is 
called  the  Amsterdam  level.  This  stands  to  the  other  de- 
grees of  the  hydraulic  scale  as  the  zero  of  the  thermometer 
does  to  the  different  degrees  of  temperature.  Starting  from 
this  basis,  it  has  been  found  possible  to  form  an  idea  of  the 
relative  position  of  land  and  water  to  each  other  in  the  king- 
dom of  the  Netherlands.  The  results  of  these  calculations, 
we  are  bound  to  state,  are  anything  but  reassuring.  During 
bad  weather,  or,  to  speak  the  local  language,  during  the 
northwest  tempest,  the  tide  rises  near  Katwyk  n  feet  above 
the  Amsterdam  level ;  the  tide  of  the  Meuse  near  Rotterdam, 
10  feet  6  inches,  and  that  of  the  Lek,  near  Vianen,  17  feet. 
We  can  see  from  this  what  would  become  of  a  country 
placed  under  such  conditions  were  the  hand  of  man  with- 
drawn. 

Industry  has  drawn  Holland  out  of  nothingness;  and 
it  is  industry  that  preserves  it.  The  system  of  sluices  is  com- 
bined with  that  of  the  dykes,  as  a  means  of  defence  against 
the  waters.  It  has  been  said  that  the  Dutch  have  no  archi- 
tecture. Some  civil  or  religious  buildings  protest  against 
this  opinion,  which  is  far  too  exclusive;  but  it  must  be  always 


1 8  HOLLAND 

borne  in  mind  that  the  building  art  is  moulded  on  the  nature 
and  necessities  of  a  country.  Now,  in  Holland,  the  truly 
national  architecture  is  the  hydraulic  architecture,  which  has 
produced  immense  and  colossal  constructions.  The  first 
sluices  were  of  wood:  at  the  present  time  they  are  monu- 
ments of  stone  and  the  most  magnificent  works  that  can  be 
seen.  The  peculiarity  of  this  art  is  not  elegance,  but  strength. 
To  form  an  idea  of  the  style  of  such  works  you  must  visit 
the  great  Amsterdam  sluices,  and  especially  the  buildings  at 
Katwyk.  This  fortress,  raised  against  the  sea,  has  truly  a 
stern  and  imposing  character.  Three  sluices  succeed  each 
other  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rhine,  in  the  canal  intended  to  sup- 
port the  failing  strength  of  the  river  and  protect  Holland 
on  this  side.  On  tempestuous  days  it  is  considered  prudent 
to  make  concessions  to  the  sea.  The  sluice  gates  nearest  the 
mouth  of  the  river  allow  a  passage  to  the  waves,  which  dash 
madly  at  the  second  gate  and  are  broken  against  it.  These 
masses  of  stone  which  defy  the  ocean,  these  powerful  machines 
directed  by  art  founded  on  experience,  these  gates  which 
open  and  shut  according  to  the  current  and  bent  of  the 
waters  and  direction  of  the  wind — all  these  reveal  the  exist- 
ence of  an  admirable  and  complicated  system;  all  announce 
a  species  of  administrative  providence  that  watches  over  Hol- 
land. 

The  dykes,  sluice-gates,  and  all  the  great  defensive 
works  erected  against  the  "  external  waters,"  as  the  rivers 
and  sea  are  called  here,  would  not  have  suffered  to  render 
Holland  habitable  if  the  country  had  not  also  discovered 
the  art  of  getting  rid  of  the  "  internal  waters."  In  conse- 


HYDRAULIC   WORKS  19 

quence  of  rains  and  the  overflow  of  rivers  from  time  imme- 
morial, pools,  lagoons,  and  perpetual  marshes  were  formed, 
extending  a  long  distance  inland,  and  everywhere  defying 
cultivation.  Another  cause  for  the  presence  of  water  was 
the  extraction  of  peat.  Owing  to  the  want  of  wood,  the 
inhabitants  were  constrained  to  ransack  the  earth  in  order 
to  warm  themselves,  and  the  exhausted  peat-beds  were  soon 
converted  into  lakes.  Holland  presented  then  the  singular 
spectacle  of  people  incessantly  menaced  by  inundations,  yet 
incessantly  occupied  in  producing  water.  It  is  against  such 
a  state  of  things  and  such  dangers  that  the  hydraulic  art  was 
summoned  to  re-act  by  the  creation  of  polders.  This  name, 
derived  from  a  Dutch  word  signifying  inclosed  lands,  was 
given  to  the  ancient  marshes,  which  the  first  inhabitants  sur- 
rounded by  weak  dykes  and  supplied  with  clumsy  sluices. 
The  system  of  polders  became  developed  with  the  progress 
of  agriculture  and  industry.  In  the  infancy  of  the  hydraulic 
art  the  employment  of  machinery  was  unknown,  and  it  was 
not  till  a  later  date  that  one  of  the  enemies  of  Holland,  the 
wind,  was  put  under  contribution  to  dry  the  land.  It  is 
impossible  to  say  who  built  the  first  mills  destined  to  draw 
the  water  off  the  polders,  but  a  tradition  leads  to  the  belief 
that  this  system  was  practiced  in  Holland  toward  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Fifteenth  Century.  It  is  said  that  in  1408  there 
lived  in  Alkmaar  in  Northern  Holland  a  certain  Florent 
Alkmade,  who  put  up  an  hydraulic  wind-mill.  This  mill 
served  as  a  model  for  many  other  machines  of  the  same 
nature,  and  the  invention  speedily  spread  even  to  remote 
Districts. 


20  HOLLAND 

At  the  outset  these  mills  were  small  and  incomplete; 
they  would  only  act  with  the  wind  blowing  from  one 
quarter,  the  northwest,  but  gradually  they  increased  in 
power.  At  the  close  of  the  Fifteenth  Century  the  employ- 
ment of  mills  in  the  Dutch  polders  had  become  general.  From 
this  period  date  the  regular  dyking  of  the  lowlands,  the  for- 
mation of  trenches  to  discharge  and  guide  the  water,  the 
construction  of  sluice-gates  to  establish  the  level  between  the 
reservoirs:  in  a  word,  a  tolerably  scientific  system  of  desic- 
cation. Through  this  discovery  the  internal  state  of  the 
country  was  changed  and  agriculture  could  spring  up.  At 
the  present  day  mills  of  all  shapes  and  dimensions  stand  in 
the  middle  of  rich  plains,  whose  superfluous  waters  they 
draw  off:  their  busy  wings  are  in  the  distance  blended 
together  in  a  tranquil  sky,  and  give  the  landscape  a  singular 
character.  Some  of  these  mills  are  true  edifices,  which  seek 
the  wind  at  a  considerable  height;  others,  smaller  and  built 
of  wood  or  brick,  are  very  prettily  finished  off.  This  rustic 
coquetry — these  huge  sails  which  flutter  in  the  air  like  the 
wings  of  gigantic  and  fabulous  birds;  this  tic-tac  blended 
with  the  rustling  sound  of  the  waters,  spread  over  the  calm 
nature  of  Holland  an  undefinable  charm  and  movement. 
Elsewhere  mills,  those  monuments  of  a  pastoral  life,  are  only 
employed  in  one  way;  but  here,  on  the  contrary,  they  are 
hydraulic  machines,  saw  and  flour-grinding-mills.  You  see 
some  polders  served  by  a  single  small  mill,  while  several  large 
mills  are  employed  in  draining  others.  Formerly  efforts 
were  limited  to  draining  ground  at  no  great  depth;  but  since 
science  has  progressed,  the  wind  is  called  upon  to  exhaust 


HYDRAULIC    WORKS  21 

even  deep  marshes  The  polders  have  given  Holland  a 
second  nature ;  this  country,  agriculturally  regarded,  is  placed 
under  most  peculiar  conditions.  Elsewhere,  it  is  necessary 
to  create  the  produce  of  the  soil,  but  here  the  soil  itself  must 
be  created.  When  you  now  see  this  land,  fabricated  and  kept 
up  by  the  hand  of  man,  covered  in  summer  with  rich  pastur- 
age, fruit  and  vegetables,  and  frequently  abundant  crops, 
you  cannot  sufficiently  admire  the  condition  of  the  art  which 
has  converted  land  buried  beneath  the  waters  into  a  garden. 
One  of  the  difficulties  consisted  in  maintaining  the  bal- 
ance between  the  private  interests  of  the  polders  and  the 
general  interests  of  the  hydraulic  system  to  which  Holland 
owes  her  existence.  All  this  could  only  be  regulated  by  an 
administration  possessing  precise  and  delicate  knowledge. 
When  we  reflect  that  the  sea  is  for  Holland  an  indefatigable 
enemy  and  think  of  the  net-work  of  dykes,  ramparts  and 
canals  which  are  connected  together,  and  all  forming  links 
of  a  system;  when  we  calculate  the  terrible  consequences  of 
the  slightest  neglect  in  a  country  where  a  mole  or  a  rat-hole 
may  imperil  the  safety  of  a  dyke  and  open  a  passage  for  the 
water,  we  are  no  longer  surprised  that  from  the  earliest  age 
the  functions  of  the  Waterstaat  have  been  considered  most 
important.  These  offices  were  conferred  by  the  States-Gen- 
eral and  exclusively  on  men  of  the  Reformed  faith.  At 
Delft  there  is  still  a  special  school,  in  which  pupils  are  edu- 
cated in  hydraulic  engineering.  This  body  of  civil  engi- 
neers is  the  real  army  which  watches  over  the  defence  of  the 
country.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  form  an  idea  how  scien- 
tifically the  sluice-gates  must  be  worked  not  to  open  the 


22  HOLLAND 

gates  to  the  enemy,  or  what  practical  and  minute  art  must 
preside  over  the  harmony  of  the  waters  throughout  the 
interior  of  the  country.  It  is  our  conviction  that  the  Dutch 
alone  are  capable  of  this  continual  and  methodical  surveil- 
lance, without  which  their  country  might  disappear  at  any 
moment  beneath  the  sea.  It  is  owing  to  their  perseverance, 
the  skill  of  the  engineers,  and  the  enormous  outlay  con- 
tributed to  by  all  the  citizens  that  Holland  strives  against 
the  waves,  and  still  floats  on  the  surface.  Luctor  et  enter  go! 
The  success  obtained  in  drying  the  polders,  some  of  which 
are  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  below  the  natural  surface,  neces- 
sarily inspired  man  with  great  confidence  in  his  resources. 
It  was,  in  fact,  a  premium  of  encouragement  to  undertake 
even  more  daring  works.  In  the  Seventeenth  Century,  con- 
siderable stretches  of  land  were,  so  to  speak,  dragged  from 
the  bosom  of  the  waters.  The  first  drainage  on  a  great  scale 
took  place  in  North  Holland,  in  1614.  Lakes  formed  by 
nature,  especially  the  Beemster,  Purmer,  and  Schermer.  were 
changed  by  the  hand  of  industry  into  one  of  the  finest  and 
richest  estates  in  the  Netherlands.  An  observer  of  that  day, 
William  Temple,  tells  us  of  his  surprise  and  admiration  on 
seeing  an  old  lake  two  leagues  in  diameter  (the  Beemster) 
on  which  cattle  were  grazing.  This  ground,  divided  by 
canals,  traversed  by  regular  roads,  and  bordered  by  avenues 
of  trees,  formed,  even  in  his  day,  one  of  the  prettiest  land- 
scapes imaginable.  From  1608  to  1640,  twenty-six  lakes 
were  thus  transformed  into  polders  in  the  same  province. 
In  1820,  there  were  more  than  15,000  acres  of  drained  land 
in  North  Holland,  while  in  the  south  the  quantity  of  land 


HYDRAULIC   WORKS  23 

restored  to  agriculture  amounted  in  1844  to  72,500  acres. 
Since  then  the  waters  have  been  drawn  off  the  Nootdorp 
polder,  which  was  a  marsh,  and  on  its  site  a,  little  village  has 
been  built. 

In  spite  of  so  many  victories  gained  over  the  external 
enemy,  a  dangerous  and  restless  guest  disturbed  the  peace 
of  Holland :  we  mean  Haarlem  Lake.  This  lake  the  Dutch 
saw  created.  The  history  of  its  formation  should  be  studied 
in  the  old  maps,  where  the  development  of  this  mass  of 
water,  which  ended  by  intimidating  Leyden  and  Amsterdam, 
can  be  followed  step  by  step.  In  1531,  there  existed  near 
Haarlem  four  insignificant  lakes  on  whose  banks  three  vil- 
lages flourished,  whose  names  alone  have  been  preserved.  In 
1591,  one  of  these  villages  had  already  disappeared;  in  1647, 
it  was  all  over  with  the  other  two.  The  lakes  were  at  first 
separated;  in  1531,  there  only  existed  between  the  Haarlem 
and  Leyden  lakes  an  opening  so  narrow  that,  according  to 
the  old  chroncile,  it  could  be  crossed  on  a  plank;  and  in 
1647,  the  four  lakes  were  united,  and  their  several  names 
blended  into  that  of  the  Haarlem  Lake.  Only  one  point  of 
land,  Beinsdorp,  still  remained  above  water;  but  in  1687,  it 
had  diminished  and  the  Meer  was  still  increasing.  It  had 
gradually  attained  a  circumference  of  eleven  leagues.  It 
was  a  sea,  and  a  stormy  one,  too.  On  the  Meer  naval  actions 
were  fought;  fleets  of  seventy  flat  boats  manoeuvred  and 
several  vessels  perished.  We  saw  at  Haarlem,  in  the  natural 
history  collection  of  Dr.  Van  Breda,  two  specimens  of  the 
Silurus  glanis  caught  in  this  lake,  and  which  are  the  largest 
of  all  fresh-water  fish.  In  turn,  calm  or  violent,  this  lake 


24  HOLLAND 

seemed  to  obey  special  laws  of  its  own.  On  November  I, 
1755>  it  was  afflicted  at  the  moment  of  the  famous  Lisbon 
earthquake.  Crossing  its  waters  was  perilous,  and  ship- 
wrecks frequently  took  place.  Like  those  animals  which 
become  more  savage  with  age,  the  Haarlem  Meer  daily  dis- 
played a  more  wild  character.  At  each  heavy  storm  moun- 
tains of  waters  were  seen  to  rise  in  this  inland  sea  and  dash 
violently  against  the  defensive  works,  over  which  they  hurled 
clouds  of  spray.  Haarlem  Lake  remained  in  existence  until, 
on  November  9,  1836,  the  waters,  impelled  by  a  furious 
westerly  wind,  dashed  over  the  dykes  and  roads,  and  reached 
the  very  gates  of  Amsterdam.  This  event  decided  the  fate 
of  the  Haarlemmer  Meer;  the  lake  had  threatened  Amster- 
dam, and  Amsterdam  said  to  the  lake:  "  You  shall  disappear." 
From  that  day,  in  fact,  its  sentence  was  pronounced; 
and  the  only  point  was  to  find  the  means  for  carrying  it  into 
effect.  The  drainage  of  the  Haarlem  Lake  had  been  several 
times  proposed,  and  various  systems  had  been  brought  to 
public  notice.  In  1643,  an  engineer  and  mill-maker  in  North 
Hollanq1,  John  Adrian  Leegh  Water,  seeing  the  peril  that 
menaced '  Holland  if  the  Haarlemmer  Meer  continued  to 
exist,  published  at  Amsterdam  a  small  work,  the  conclusion 
of  which  was:  "We  must  get  rid  of  this  ruinous  and  inva- 
ding mass  of  water."  Ergo,  delendum  est  mare!  To  this 
work  ("  Haarlemmer  Meer  Boek")  were  added  a  plan  of 
desiccation  and  a  map.  The  author  of  the  project  required 
one  hundred  and  forty  mills  to  pour  the  lake  water  into  the 
sea.  This  project  met  with  more  than  one  objection;  it 
would  have  been  necessary  for  the  wind  to  blow  strongly 


HYDRAULIC   WORKS  25 

and  long  in  the  same  direction  for  the  mills  to  work  properly. 
Many  other  systems  were  produced ;  but  to  extract  this  pow- 
erful mass  of  water  a  considerable  force  was  needed,  inde- 
pendent of  the  variations  of  the  atmosphere,  and  solely  and 
entirely  submitted  to  the  will  of  man.  These  embryonic 
plans  were,  as  regarded  the  means  of  execution,  only  Uto- 
pian ;  a  discovery  was  wanting  which  would  remove  all  obsta- 
cles, and  render  the  most  daring  designs  of  human  genius 
practicable.  That  discovery  was  the  power  of  steam.  Such  a 
mighty  invention  utterly  changed,  in  fact,  the  conditions  of 
this  difficult  and  hitherto  daring  work.  In  April,  1840,  a 
commission  set  out  from  Holland  for  England,  with  orders 
to  make  inquiries  about  steam  and  pumping  machinery. 
Nothing  that  had  been  hitherto  done  or  practised  was  applica- 
ble to  the  Haarlemmer  Meer:  an  entirely  new  system  of 
machinery  was  needed.  After  a  few  experiments,  the  princi- 
pal organs  of  the  new  apparatus  were  formed.  It  was  less 
a  machine  than  a  colossal  and  animated  being;  the  name  of 
Leegh  Water  was  given  it,  in  memory  of  the  man  who  had 
first  ventured  to  counsel  the  drainage  of  the  sea.  The  Leegh 
began  removing  the  water  by  itself  on  June  7,  1847.  Two 
other  machines  came  to  its  aid,  one  on  June  7,  1848,  the 
other  in  the  commencement  of  April,  1849.  At  the  present 
day  the  drainage  is  an  accomplished  fact. 


THE  DUTCH  RACE 

ZABOROWSKI 

HOLLAND,  geographically  speaking,  is  an  entirely 
new  country,  with  the  exception  of  two  or  three 
regions,  such  as  Limburg  and  South  Brabant, 
which  are  joined  to  Belgium.  Its  soil  is  of  contemporary 
formation,  so  to  speak,  and,  what  is  more,  it  has  only  recently 
been  inhabited.  Anthropologically,  it  has  not  a  long  history, 
but  that  is  no  reason  for  saying  that  certainly  there  are  no 
old  races  to  be  found  there.  Like  all  lands  of  the  same  kind, 
long  unfertile,  and  even  now  largely  insalubrious,  although 
it  may  have  been  settled  recently,  it  has  served  as  a  refuge 
for  tribes  that  are  descendants  of  the  most  ancient  dwellers 
in  the  neighbouring  regions. 

Thanks  to  its  situation,  and  the  special  conditions  that 
have  more  than  once  protected  it  against  armed  invasion, 
families  of  ancient  races  have  been  preserved  there  better 
than  elsewhere,  far  from  mixtures  and  changes.  This  is  the 
general  rule.  And  if  we  keep  this  in  mind  wre  shall  certainly 
not  be  surprised  to  find  something  archaic  in  the  physiog- 
nomy, manners  and  customs  of  the  Dutch. 

It  is  customary  to  refer  their  origin  to  the  three  Ger- 
manic races:  Frisians,  Saxons  and  Franks;  and  the  territory 
of  the  Low  Countries  has  been,  in  fact,  under  the  exclusive 
domination  of  the  Frisians  on  the  north  and  west,  the  Franks 
on  the  south  as  far  as  the  Rhine  and  on  the  east,  and  the 
Saxons  all  through  the  east. 

26 


THE    DUTCH    RACE  27 

Different  dialects,  moreover,  indicate  the  respective  limits 
of  these  three  dominations,  almost  as  they  were  already 
established  in  the  reign  of  Charlemagne;  but  one  would  be 
mistaken  in  thinking  that  one  grasped  in  this  way  all  the 
essential  elements  of  Dutch  ethnology.  The  Franks  were 
but  a  very  small  minority  of  the  races  that  for  a  moment 
constituted  their  empire.  We  know  also  that  the  Saxons, 
whose  invasion  does  not  antedate  that  of  the  Franks,  were 
largely,  three  centuries  later,  rooted  out  of  the  land  that  they 
had  conquered.  Historically,  the  Frisians  seem  to  be  the 
real  indigenous  tribes  of  Holland.  As  far  back  as  we  can 
go,  we  find  them  in  the  province  that  still  bears  their  name 
and  is  occupied  by  their  descendants.  In  the  first  centuries 
of  our  era  they  were  even  the  sole  masters  of  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  Low  Countries — the  entire  coast,  at  least,  from 
the  Weser  to  the  Scheldt.  There  they  remained  unattacked, 
or  at  least  unexpelled,  for  more  than  a  thousand  years.  The 
Frisian  language  was  the  sole  one  spoken  on  the  coast  from 
Flanders  to  Jutland  till  the  year  800;  it  did  not  yield  place 
to  Dutch  till  1498. 

In  all  probability,  the  Frisian  comes  from  the  primitive 
Germanic  or  Cymric  stock.  Their  country  is  only  an  out- 
of-the-way  corner  of  the  region  in  which  the  Germanic 
languages  formed  and  from  which  that  people  issued.  Later 
on  they  mixed  with  the  Saxons,  and  perhaps  with  the  Angles, 
who  went  to  settle  Great  Britain.  The  true  Germanic  type 
is  that  to  which  belong  almost  all  the  skeletons  found  in  such 
numbers  in  the  "  grave  lines  "  (Reihengrober)  of  the  ancient 
territories  of  the  Franks,  Allemani,  Burgundians,  Bavarians, 


28  HOLLAND 

Saxons,  etc.  These  skeletons  are  of  men  tall,  blonde,  and 
of  capacious  and  long  heads,  in  accordance  with  ancient 
description.  The  brunette  element,  represented  in  Denmark 
in  its  purity  by  nearly  three  per  cent,  of  the  population,  also 
penetrated  into  Friesland.  The  great  majority  of  the  inhab- 
itants there  have  still  an  extremely  pale  complexion,  eyes  of 
different  tones  of  blue,  and  blonde  hair. 

The  inhabitants  of  Maarken,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Zuyder  Zee,  are  noted  for  their  fidelity  to  their  ancient  cus- 
toms and  are  rightly  considered  to  have  preserved  the  orig- 
inal characteristics  of  the  Dutch  more  purely  than  anywhere 
else.  Foreigners  visit  them  in  order  to  learn  the  manners 
and  customs  of  former  days.  And  this  constant  contact  has 
not  yet  changed  them  in  the  least.  To  the  present  day  they 
are  particular  not  to  marry  outside  their  own  circle.  Dr. 
Sasse  does  not  hesitate  to  call  them  Frisians.  And  if  they 
are  Frisians,  it  is  among  them,  even  more  than  in  Friesland, 
that  the  type  of  that  race  is  preserved.  If,  as  historians 
tell  us,  they  were  not  settled  in  Maarken  till  the  Thirteenth 
Century,  in  any  case  they  represent  the  population  of  the 
country  as  it  was  more  than  five  hundred  years  ago.  These 
islanders  are  generally  taller  than  their  neighbours  on  the 
coast.  They  have  straight  and  prominent  noses,  long  and 
somewhat  bony  faces,  very  bright  eyes,  and  open  and  bold 
countenances.  As  for  the  women,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
discover  in  their  features  anything  different  from  the  genuine 
Swede.  Generally,  they  are  apparently  stronger  than  the 
latter  and  have  somewhat  heavy  extremities.  They  have  a 
more  prominent  nose  and  longer  face.  In  moral  relations, 


THE    DUTCH    RACE  29 

these  islanders  present  a  striking  similarity  with  small  groups 
of  isolated  population  of  similar  origin  such  as  that  of  the 
famous  French  "  bourg  de  Batz."  Their  virtue  and  upright- 
ness have  a  high  reputation;  and  these  qualities  are  common 
throughout  Friesland.  Their  life,  however,  is  neither  a  gay 
nor  an  easy  one.  Fishing  is  their  sole  resource,  and  their 
dwellings,  in  which  they  live  under  strings  of  smoked  fish, 
are  certainly  not  inviting.  However,  the  inhabitants  of  Am- 
sterdam entrust  them  in  great  numbers  with  the  bringing  up 
of  their  children. 

Along  the  neighbouring  coast,  at  Edam,  Vollendam, 
etc.,  the  general  aspect  is  still  almost  equally  archaic.  In  the 
Island  of  Urk,  situated  to  the  north,  not  far  from  the  Frisian 
coast,  the  settlement  of  which  appears  to  have  been  prior  to 
the  formation  of  the  Zuyder  Zee,  we  find  not  only  the  same 
type  as  at  Maarken,  but  similar  customs  also.  This  points 
to  an  identical  origin. 

In  Holland,  properly  so  called,  even  in  the  north  (the 
old  West  Friesland),  we  no  longer  find  Frisians  in  distinct 
and  separate  groups.  There  they  constitute  simply  an  ele- 
ment in  various  degrees  of  change  and  mixture.  We  are 
assured  of  this  by  the  results  of  scientific  measurement  of 
skulls.  The  bulk  of  the  population  is  of  the  blonde  type. 

In  the  towns,  especially  the  great  commercial  towns, 
we  find  almost  as  great  a  variety  of  physiognomies  as  in  our 
own  cities.  And  this  very  variety  at  first  sight  troubles  the 
observer  who  is  fond  of  local  colour,  and  is  trying  to  settle 
the  distinctive  traits  of  the  population  of  Holland. 

As  to  the  opposite  brunette  element,  it  is  more  particu- 


3o  HOLLAND 

larly  Walloon  and  French,  at  least  at  the  present  day.  The 
Protestants  who  found  a  second  fatherland  in  this  proud 
and  free  country  brought  serious  contingencies  into  Holland. 
And  again,  Holland  was  French  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Nineteenth  Century,  and  that  again  has  not  been  without 
influence,  since  in  every  locality  there  is  always  someone  to 
be  found  speaking  that  language.  However,  dark  brown  and 
black  eyes  are  not  very  common;  but  we  meet  with  a  more 
or  less  Spanish  cast  of  countenance  and  Jewish  features  out- 
side the  Hebrew  population  itself,  which,  excepting  a  little 
group  of  Portuguese  origin,  is  of  the  German  stock,  and 
occupies  an  important  place  in  the  large  Dutch  towns. 

In  Southern  Holland,  around  Utrecht  and  Brabant, 
confusion  grows  sensibly  greater.  In  Guelderland,  the 
Frisians  have  doubtless  in  all  ages  been  in  contact  with  other 
races,  and,  in  old  days,  must  have  mingled  with  those  that 
successively  occupied  the  banks  of  the  Rhine — Gauls,  Franks, 
Suevi,  and  Southern  Germans.  Moreover,  the  Meuse,  like 
the  Rhine,  has  been  a  line  of  penetration  throughout  this 
region  and  as  important  a  cause  of  mixture  as  the  Rhine 
itself,  -for  it  puts  Southern  Holland  in  communication  with 
Central  Belgium  and  Northern  France. 

In  Drenthe,  as  also  in  Friesland  and  North  Holland, 
great  blocks  of  stone  are  thought  to  be  megalithic  monuments. 
As  usual,  legends  have  gathered  round  them  and  the  Dutch 
have  given  them  the  name  of  "  beds  of  the  Huns  "  (Hun- 
nenbedden).  They  form,  however,  veritable  "covered 
ways,"  particularly  in  the  northeast  of  Assen,  and  it  is  evi- 
dent that  man  used  them  for  monuments,  places  of  refuge, 


THE   DUTCH   RACE  31 

habitations,  and  for  defence.  There  are  also  real  tombs, — 
mounds  from  which  skeletons,  pottery  and  weapons  have 
been  excavated.  These  monuments  could  easily  be  pre-his- 
toric  without  being  of  a  very  remote  epoch.  The  soil  of 
Drenthe  is  older  than  that  of  the  provinces  we  have  just 
described ;  but  it  is  sterile  and  not  very  habitable.  It  formed 
part  of  the  territory  of  the  Franks  before  it  belonged  to  the 
Saxons. 

It  would  be  surprising  if  its  population  differed  from 
that  of  Friesland,  which  it  separates  from  Hanover.  The 
type  is  blonde  and  of  the  same  general  character,  but  pre- 
sents many  points  of  contact  with  the  German.  There  also 
exists  a  brunette  element  with  a  round  head  relating  to  the 
type  of  the  tribe  which,  in  the  Stone  Age,  passed  through 
Denmark  to  Sweden. 

Zeeland,  thanks  to  its  remote  situation,  is,  like  Fries- 
land,  an  ethnological  province,  and  the  origin  of  its  popula- 
tion has  been  as  fully  studied  and  discussed.  As  Caesar 
called  the  inhabitants  of  this  part  of  the  continent  Mena- 
pians,  a  connection  has  been  sought  for  between  the  ancient 
Menapians  and  the  Zeelanders  of  to-day.  M.  Jacques  of 
Brussels  considers  them  Celtic  brunettes,  but  without  proof. 
M.  Sasse  identifies  them  with  the  Suevi,  who  gave  their  name 
to  the  country,  Zeuwenland,  and  who  up  to  the  Seventh  Cen- 
tury appear  to  have  been  the  sole  inhabitants. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Frisian  type  appear  to  have  been 
the  most  ancient  natives  of  this  country.  There  are,  more- 
over, no  tombs  more  ancient  than  theirs  in  the  island  of 
Walcheren.  It  may  be  supposed  that  they  came  by  sea 


32  HOLLAND 

along  the  coasts  of  this  large  isle,  and  finally  reached  the 
mainland  occupied  by  others.  We  do  know,  however,  that 
the  Frisians  extended  their  dominion  throughout  Holland 
as  far  as  the  Scheldt.  The  conclusions  of  M.  Man,  that  the 
ancient  population  of  Walcheren  is  identical  with  the  Fris- 
ians of  the  coasts  and  the  Anglo-Saxons,  is  justified. 

In  Zeeland  Flanders  it  is  not  rare  to  encounter  blue 
eyes  with  black  or  brown  hair,  or  brown  eyes  with  light  hair. 
This  combination  has  a  very  agreeable  effect.  M.  de  Coster, 
who  confounds  the  Frisian  and  Saxon,  marks  a  difference 
between  the  peasant  of  the  flats,  who  is  large,  heavy  and 
thick-set,  with  wide  shoulders  and  a  Herculean  strength, 
rancorous  and  vindictive,  and  the  peasant  of  the  polders, 
who  is  slower,  more  melancholy  and  more  apathetic.  The 
soil  and  the  mode  of  life  would  suffice  to  impress  on  each 
of  these  men  his  individual  character. 


THE  NETHERLANDS 

EDWARD    A.   FREEMAN 

THE  lands  which  we  are  accustomed  to  group  to- 
gether under  the  name  of  the  Netherlands  or  Low 
Countries  lay  mostly  within  the  bounds  of  the 
Empire,  but  the  country  of  Flanders  has  always  been  a  fief 
of  France.  Part,  however,  of  the  dominions  of  its  counts, 
the  northeastern  corner  of  their  dominions,  the  lands  of  Alost 
and  Waas,  were  held  of  the  Empire.  These  lands,  together 
with  the  neighbouring  islands  of  Zealand,  formed  a  ground 
of  endless  disputes  between  the  Counts  of  Flanders  and  their 
northern  neighbours,  the  Counts  of  Holland.  This  last 
country  gradually  disentangles  itself  from  the  general  mass 
of  Frisian  lands  which  lie  along  the  whole  coast,  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Scheldt  to  the  mouth  of  the  Weser.  And  those 
great  inroads  of  the  sea  in  the  Thirteenth  Century  which  gave 
the  Zuyder  Zee  its  present  extent  helped  to  give  the  country 
a  natural  boundary  and  to  part  it  off  from  the  Frisian  lands 
to  the  northeast.  Towards  the  end  of  the  Thirteenth  Cen- 
tury, Friesland  west  of  the  Zuyder  Zee  had  become  part  of 
the  domains  of  the  Counts.  The  land  immediately  east  of 
the  gulf  established  its  freedom,  while  East  Friesland  passed 
to  a  line  of  counts,  under  whom  its  fortunes  parted  off  from 
those  of  the  Netherlands.  Both  the  counts  and  the  free 
Frisians  had  also  dangerous  neighbours  in  the  Bishops  of 
Utrecht,  the  great  ecclesiastical  princes  of  this  region,  who 
held  a  large  temporal  sovereignty  lying  apart  from  their 

33 


34  HOLLAND 

city  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  gulf.  These  disputes  went  on, 
as  also  disputes  with  the  Dukes  of  Geldern,  without  any 
final  settlement,  almost  to  the  time  when  all  these  lands 
began  to  be  united  under  the  Burgundian  power.  But  before 
this  time  the  Counts  of  Holland  had  become  closely  connected 
with  lands  much  further  to  the  south.  Among  a  number  of 
states  in  this  region,  the  most  powerful  was  the  duchy  of 
Brabant,  which  represented  the  duchy  of  the  Lower  Lothar- 
ingia,  and  whose  princes  held  the  mark  of  Antwerp  and  the 
cities  of  Brussels,  Lowen  or  Louvain,  and  Mechlin.  To  the 
south  of  them  lay  the  country  of  Hennegau  or  Hainault.  At 
the  end  of  the  Thirteenth  Century,  this  country  was  joined 
by  marriage  with  that  of  Holland.  Holland  and  Hainault 
were  thus  detached  possessions  of  a  common  prince,  with 
Brabant  lying  between  them.  South  of  Brabant  lay  the 
small  mark  or  county  of  Namur,  which,  without  being  united 
to  Flanders,  was  held  by  a  branch  of  the  princes  of  that 
house.  All  these  states,  though  their  princes  held  of  two 
separate  overlords,  had  much  in  common  and  were  well  fitted 
to  be  worked  together  into  a  single  political  system.  They 
had  much  in  common  in  the  physical  character  of  the  country, 
and  in  the  unusual  number  of  great  and  flourishing  cities 
which  these  countries  contained.  None  of  these  cities 
reached  the  full  position  of  free  cities  of  the  Empire;  but 
their  wealth  and  the  degree  of  practical  independence  which 
they  possessed  form  a  main  feature  in  the  history  of  the  Low 
Countries.  In  point  of  language,  the  northern  part  of  these 
states  spoke  various  dialects  of  Low  Dutch,  from  Flemish 
to  Frisian;  in  the  southern  lands  of  Hainault,  Artois  and 


THE    NETHERLANDS  35 

Namur  the  language,  though  not  French,  was  not  Teutonic, 
but  an  independent  Romance  speech,  the  Walloon.  To  the 
west  of  these  states  lay  another  group  of  small  principalities 
connected  with  the  former  greater  group  in  many  ways,  but 
not  so  closely  as  those  which  we  have  just  gone  through. 
The  great  ecclesiastical  principality  of  Liittich  or  Liege,  lying 
in  two  detached  parts,  divided  the  lands  of  which  we  have 
been  speaking  from  the  counties,  afterward  duchies,  of  Liizel- 
burg  or  Luxemburg  and  of  Limburg.  Of  these,  the  more 
distant,  Limburg,  passed  in  the  Fourteenth  Century  to  the 
Dukes  of  Brabant.  Luxemburg  is  famous  as  having  given 
a  series  of  princes  to  the  kingdom  of  Bohemia  and  to  the 
Empire,  and  in  their  hands  it  rose  to  the  rank  of  a  duchy. 
Lastly,  to  the  north  of  Liittich,  forming  a  connecting  link 
between  this  group  of  states  and  the  more  purely  Frisian 
powers,  lay  the  duchy  of  Geldern,  of  whose  quarters  the 
most  northern  part  stretched  to  the  Zuyder  Zee.  These  east- 
ern states,  though  not  so  closely  connected  with  one  another 
as  those  to  the  west,  were  easily  led  into  the  same  political 
system.  Without  drawing  any  hard  and  fast  line,  we  may 
say  that  all  the  states  of  this  region  formed,  if  not  yet  a 
middle  state,  yet  a  middle  system,  apart  alike  from  France 
and  from  the  Empire,  though  in  various  ways  connected  with 
both.  Mainly  imperial,  mainly  Teutonic,  they  were  not 
wholly  so.  Besides  the  homage  lawfully  due  to  France  from 
Flanders  and  Artois,  French  influence  in  various  ways,  in 
politics,  in  manners,  and  in  language,  had  made  great  inroads 
in  the  southern  Netherlands.  Brabant  and  Hainault  had 
practically  quite  as  much  to  do  with  France  as  with  the 


3  6  HOLLAND 

Empire.  And  this  French  influence  was,  of  course,  helped 
by  the  fact  that  a  considerable  region  in  the  south  was, 
though  not  French,  yet  not  of  Teutonic  speech.  Altogether, 
with  much  to  unite  them  to  the  great  powers  on  either  side, 
with  much  to  keep  them  apart  from  either  of  them,  with 
much  more  to  unite  them  to  one  another,  the  states  of  the 
Netherlands  might  almost  seem  to  be  designed  by  nature  to 
be  united  as  a  separate  power  under  a  single  head.  Such 
a  head  was  supplied  by  the  princes  who  were  at  once  Dukes 
of  Burgundy  and  Counts  of  Flanders,  by  whom  in  the  course 
of  the  Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth  Centuries  nearly  the  whole  of 
the  Netherlands  was  united  into  a  single  power  which  was 
to  be  presently  broken  into  two  by  the  results  of  religious 
divisions.  The  great  increase  of  territory  in  this  region  was 
made  during  the  long  reign  of  Philip  the  Good.  His  first 
acquisition  was  the  county  of  Namur,  a  small  outlying  dis- 
trict, but  one  which,  as  small  and  outlying,  would  still 
more  strongly  suggest  the  rounding  off  of  the  scattered 
territory.  A  series  of  marriages  and  disputes  next  enabled 
Philip  to  make  a  much  more  important  extension  of  his 
dominions.  Brabant  and  Limburg  had  passed  to  a  younger 
branch  of  the  Burgundian  house.  John,  Duke  of  Brabant, 
the  cousin  of  Philip,  by  a  marriage  with  Jacqueline,  Countess 
of  Holland  and  Hainault,  united  those  states  for  a  moment. 
The  disputes  and  confusions  which  followed  on  her  mar- 
riages and  divorces  led  to  the  annexation  of  her  territories 
by  the  Duke  of  Burgundy,  a  process  which  was  finally  con- 
cluded by  the  formal  cession  of  her  dominions  by  Jacqueline. 
Meanwhile  Philip  had  succeeded  to  Brabant  and  Limburg, 


THE    NETHERLANDS  37 

and  the  union  of  Flanders,  Brabant,  Hainault,  Zealand, 
and  Holland,  together  made  a  dominion  which  took  in  all 
the  greatest  Netherland  states,  and  formed  a  compact  mass 
of  territory.  On  this  presently  followed  a  great  acquisition 
of  territory  which  was  more  strictly  French  than  the  fiefs 
which  Philip  already  held  of  the  French  crown  in  Flanders 
and  Artois.  The  Treaty  of  Arras,  by  which  Philip,  hitherto 
the  ally  of  England  against  France,  made  peace  with  his 
western  overlord,  gave  him  under  the  form  of  mortgage, 
the  lands  on  the  Somme.  These  lands,  Ponthieu,  Verman- 
dois,  Amiens,  and  Boulogne,  had  once  been  largely  Teu- 
tonic, but  they  were  by  this  time  thoroughly  French. 
Their  acquisition  advanced  the  Burgundian  frontier  to  a 
dangerous  neighbourhood  to  Paris  on  this  side  as  well  as 
on  the  side  of  the  Burgundian  duchy.  It  had  the  further 
effect  of  keeping  the  small  continental  possessions  which 
England  still  held  at  Calais  and  Guines  apart  from 
the  French  territory  during  the  reigns  of  Philip  and 
Charles  the  Bold,  the  continental  neighbour  of  England 
was  not  France,  but  Burgundy.  But  this  great  southern 
dominion  was  not  lasting.  The  towns  on  the  Somme, 
redeemed  and  again  recovered,  passed  on  the  fall  of  Charles 
the  Bold  once  more  into  French  hands.  So  did  Artois 
itself,  and  though  Artois  was  won  back,  Amiens  and  the 
rest  were  not.  Yet,  if  the  towns  on  the  Somme  had  stayed 
under  the  rule  of  the  successive  masters  of  the  Low  Coun- 
tries, it  might  by  this  time  have  seemed  as  natural  for 
Amiens  to  be  Belgian  as  it  now  seems  natural  for  Cambray 
and  Valenciennes  to  be  French.  The  Treaty  of  Madrid 


3  8  HOLLAND 

drew  a  definite  boundary.  France  gave  up  the  ancient  claim 
to  homage  from  Flanders  and  Artois,  and  Charles  the  Fifth, 
in  his  Burgundian,  or  rather  in  his  Flemish,  character  finally 
gave  up  all  claim  to  the  lands  on  the  Somme. 

The  southwestern  frontier  was  thus  fixed;  but  meanwhile 
the  new  state  had  advanced  in  other  directions.  Philip's 
last  great  acquisition  was  the  duchy  of  Luxemburg.  He 
now  possessed  the  greater  part  of  the  Netherlands;  but 
his  dominions  were  still  intersected  by  the  bishoprics  of 
Utrecht  and  Liittich  and  the  duchy  of  Geldern.  The  duchy 
of  Geldern  and  the  county  of  Zutphen  were  added  by 
Charles  the  Bold.  But  they  formed  a  precarious  posses- 
sion, lost  and  won  more  than  once,  down  to  their  final 
annexation  under  Charles  the  Fifth.  Of  the  two  great  ec- 
clesiastical principalities  by  which  the  Burgundian  posses- 
sions in  the  Netherlands  were  cut  asunder,  the  bishopric  of 
Liittich,  though  its  history  is  much  mixed  up  with  that  of 
the  Burgundian  Dukes,  and  though  it  came  largely  under 
their  influence,  was  never  formally  annexed.  But  the  tem- 
poral principality  of  the  Bishop  of  Utrecht  was  secularised 
under  -Charles  the  Fifth.  Friesland,  the  Friesland  imme- 
diately east  of  the  Zuyder  Zee,  had  already  been  incorporated 
with  the  dominions  of  the  prince  who  represented  the  ancient 
Counts  of  Holland.  The  whole  Netherlands  were  thus 
brought  together  under  the  rule  of  Charles  the  Fifth.  They 
were  united  with  the  far  distant  country  of  Burgundy,  and 
with  it  they  formed  the  Burgundian  circle  in  the  new  divi- 
sion of  the  Empire.  The  bishopric  of  Liittich,  which  inter- 
sected the  whole  southern  part  of  the  country,  remained  in 


THE    NETHERLANDS  39 

the  circle  of  Westphalia.  Seventeen  provinces,  each  keeping 
much  of  separate  being,  were  united  under  a  single  prince, 
and,  after  the  Treaty  of  Madrid,  they  were  free  from  any 
pretensions  on  the  part  of  foreign  powers.  The  Netherlands 
formed  one  of  the  most  compact  and  important  parts  of 
the  scattered  dominions  of  the  Emperor,  who  was  also  lord 
of  Burgundy,  Castile,  and  Sicily.  But  the  final  union  of 
these  lands  under  the  direct  dominion  of  an  Emperor  at 
once  led  to  their  practical  separation  frorri  the  Empire.  They 
passed,  with  all  the  remaining  possessions  and  claims  of  the 
Burgundian  house,  to  Philip  of  Spain,  and  they  were  reck- 
oned among  the  crowd  of  distant  dependencies  which  had 
come  under  the  rule  of  the  crowns  of  Castile  and  Aragon. 
In  Spanish  hands  they  acted  less  as  a  middle  state  than 
as  a  power  which  helped  to  hem  in  France  on  both  sides. 
Had  the  great  revolt  of  the  Netherlands  ended  in  the  final 
liberation  of  the  whole  seventeen  provinces,  the  middle  state 
would  have  been  formed  in  its  full  strength.  As  it  was,  the 
work  of  the  War  of  Independence  was  imperfect.  The 
northern  provinces  won  their  freedom  in  the  form  of  a 
federal  commonwealth.  The  southern  provinces  remained 
dependencies  of  Spain,  to  become  the  chosen  fighting  ground 
of  Europen  armies,  the  chosen  plaything  of  European  di- 
plomacy. 

The  end  of  the  long  war  of  independence  waged  by  the 
northern  provinces  was  the  establishment  of  the  famous 
federal  commonwealth  of  the  Seven  United  Provinces — 
Holland,  Zealand,  Utrecht,  Gelderland,  Over-Yssel,  Fries- 
land,  and  Groningen.  These  answered  nearly  to  the  do- 


4o  HOLLAND 

minions  of  the  Counts  of  Holland  and  Bishops  of  Utrecht 
in  earlier  times.  But  besides  these,  part  of  the  duchy  of 
Geldern  formed  one  of  the  United  Provinces,  while  its 
southern  part  shared  the  fate  of  the  southern  provinces. 
But,  besides  the  United  Seven,  the  Confederation  also  kept 
parts  of  Brabant,  Geldern  and  Flanders  as  common  pos- 
sessions. The  power  thus  formed,  one  which  so  long  held 
an  European  importance  quite  disproportioned  to  its  geo- 
graphical extent,  had  under  Burgundian  rule  become  prac- 
tically independent  of  the  Empire,  but  it  was  only  by  the 
Peace  of  Westphalia  that  its  independence  was  formally 
acknowledged.  The  maritime  strength  of  the  Confedera- 
tion made  it  more  than  an  European  power.  It  had  become 
a  colonising  power  in  three  parts  of  the  world.  In  the 
course  of  the  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth  Centuries,  the 
Seven  Provinces  extended  their  dominion  over  many  points 
on  the  continent  of  India  and  over  the  neighbouring  island 
of  Ceylon,  over  the  great  equatorial  islands  of  Java,  Su- 
matra and  the  Moluccas,  over  many  points  in  Guinea  and 
southern  Africa,  and  over  part  of  Guiana  in  South  America. 
But  the  great  North  American  settlement  of  New  Amster- 
dam passed  to  England,  and  New  Amsterdam  became  New 
York.  Singularly  enough,  this  great  power  never  had  any 
strict  geographical  name.  Netherlands  was  too  large,  as 
it  took  in  the  whole  of  the  Low  Countries  and  not  the 
emancipated  provinces  only.  Holland  was  too  small,  as 
being  the  name  of  one  province  only,  though  the  greatest. 
And,  by  one  of  the  oddest  cases  of  caprice  of  language,  in 
common  English  usage  the  name  of  the  whole  Teutonic 


THE    NETHERLANDS  41 

race  settled  down  on  this  one  small  part  of  it,  and  the 
men  of  the  Seven  Provinces  came  to  be  exclusively  spoken 
of  as  Dutch. 

Meanwhile  the  southern  provinces,  the  greater  part  of 
Brabant  and  Flanders,  with  Artois,  Hennegau  or  Hainault, 
Namur,  Limburg,  Luxemburg,  and  the  southern  part  of 
Geldern — a  region  taking  in  Antwerp  at  one  end  and  Cam- 
bray  at  the  other — remained  under  the  sovereignty  of  the 
representatives  of  the  Burgundian  Dukes.  That  is,  they 
remained  an  outlying  dependency  of  the  Spanish  Monarchy. 
But  their  southern  frontier  was  open  to  constant  aggressions 
on  the  part  of  France.  During  the  endless  wars  of  Louis 
the  Fourteenth's  reign,  the  boundary  fluctuated  with  each 
Treaty.  Acquisitions  were  made  by  France  at  the  Treaty 
of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  some  of  which  were  surrendered,  and 
others  made  by  the  Peace  of  Nimuegen.  At  last  the  boun- 
dary was  finally  fixed  by  the  Peace  of  Utrecht  in  the  last 
days  of  Louis.  Part  of  Flanders  and  Hainault  were  finally 
confirmed  to  France,  which  thus  kept  Lille,  Cambray  and 
Valenciennes.  The  provinces  which  had  hitherto  been 
Spanish  now  passed  to  the  only  surviving  branch  of  the 
House  of  Austria,  that  which  reigned  in  the  archduchy  and 
supplied  the  hereditary  candidates  for  the  Empire.  The 
first  wars  of  the  French  Revolution  added  the  Austrian 
Netherlands  to  France,  and  with  them  the  bishopric 
of  Liittich  which  still  so  oddly  divided  them.  A  later  stage 
of  the  days  of  confusion  changed  the  Seven  United  Provinces, 
enlarged  by  the  addition  of  East  Friesland,  into  a  Kingdom 
of  Holland,  one  of  the  states  which  the  new  conqueror 


42  HOLLAND 

carved  out  for  the  benefit  of  his  kinsfolk.  Presently  the 
new  kingdom  was  incorporated  with  the  new  "  Empire," 
along  with  the  German  lands  to  the  north-east  of  it.  The 
Corsican  had  at  last  carried  out  the  schemes  of  the  kings  of 
the  House  of  Valois,  and  the  whole  Burgundian  heritage 
formed  for  a  moment  part  of  France. 

As  the  general  settlement  of  Europe,  after  the  long  wars 
with  France,  the  restoration  of  the  Low  Countries  as  a 
middle  state  was  a  main  object.  This  was  brought  about 
by  the  union  of  the  whole  of  the  Netherlands  into  a  single 
kingdom  bearing  that  name.  The  southern  boundary  did 
not  differ  greatly  from  that  fixed  by  the  Peace  of  Utrecht. 
As  in  the  case  of  the  Savoyard  frontier  France  kept  a  little 
more  by  the  arrangements  of  1814  than  she  finally  kept 
by  those  of  1815.  To  the  east,  East  Friesland  passed  to 
Hanover,  leaving  the  boundary  of  the  new  kingdom  not  very 
different  from  that  of  the  two  earlier  powers  which  it  rep- 
resented, gaining  only  a  small  territory  on  the  banks  of  the 
Maes.  But  the  bishopric  of  Liittich  was  incorporated  with 
the  lands  which  it  had  once  parted  asunder,  and  so  ceased 
altogether  to  be  German  ground.  The  new  king,  as  we 
have  already  seen,  entered  the  German  Confederation  in 
his  character  of  Grand  Duke  of  Luxemburg,  the  duchy 
being  somewhat  shortened  to  the  east  in  favour  of  Prussia. 
Lastly,  after  fifteen  years  of  union,  the  new  kingdom  again 
split  asunder.  It  was  now  divided  into  the  kingdom  of 
the  Netherlands,  answering  to  the  old  United  Provinces, 
and  the  kingdom  of  Belgium,  answering  to  the  old  Spanish 
or  Austrian  Netherlands. 


AMSTERDAM 

ESTHER   SINGLETON 

THE  first  view  of  Amsterdam  is  a  surprise  to  one 
unfamiliar  with  Holland.  The  combination  of 
curious  buildings,  canals,  and  bridges,  streets 
and  boats  impresses  him  strangely,  and  the  word  quaint 
constantly  rises  to  his  lips  as  he  walks  about.  At  times  he 
seems  to  be  transported  to  the  Middle  Ages,  and  is  an- 
noyed when  such  anachronisms  as  tramcars,  telephones  and 
advertisements  of  commercial  companies  that  unite  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth,  impertinently  remind  him  of 
the  achievements  of  modern  science  and  that  he  is  living  in 
the  Twentieth  Century. 

The  houses,  built  of  small  black  or  brown  bricks  for 
the  most  part,  heavily  seamed  with  white  cement  and  heavily 
adorned  with  white  window-sills  and  cornices  over  doors 
and  roof,  generally  terminate  in  a  pointed  gable,  with  a 
"crow-stepped"  roof.  They  all  lean  forward  slightly;  and 
are  all,  in  consequence,  a  little  out  of  the  perpendicular. 
This  singular  appearance  of  line  is  still  further  accentuated 
by  the  crane  that  projects  from  the  cornice  of  nearly  every 
house;  for  it  is  a  universal  custom  to  hoist  goods  to  the 
top  windows  from  the  delivery  wagons  or  trucks  below. 
Another  curious  feature  is  that  there  are  no  sidewalks:  the 
houses  are  placed  directly  upon  the  cobble  stones  that  extend 
to  the  coping  of  the  canals:  hence  wagons,  carriages  and 
people,  mingle  in  the  streets. 

43 


44  HOLLAND 

Amsterdam  is  a  city  that  the  tourist  may  enjoy  without 
troubling  himself  about  its  history.  It  matters  little  to 
him  that  the  commercial  capital  of  Holland  originated  in 
1204,  with  a  castle  built  by  Gysbrecht  II.,  Lord  of  Amstel, 
at  the  confluence  of  the  Amstel  and  Y,  where  he  also  con- 
structed a  dam;  he  cares  little  for  a  recital  of  the  part 
played  by  the  most  powerful  city  in  the  Spanish  Netherlands 
during  the  terrible  sieges  of  the  Sixteenth  Century,  and 
still  less  for  the  story  of  its  declining  fortunes  towards  the 
close  of  the  Eighteenth.  He  prefers  to  enjoy  the  town 
from  the  pictorial  standpoint:  strolling  leisurely  about  the 
streets,  noting  the  peculiarities  of  the  architecture,  and, 
lingering  idly  upon  the  bridges,  to  watch  the  constantly 
moving  boats  upon  the  canals  and  the  shipping  in  the 
harbour. 

The  plan  of  Amsterdam  is  quickly  understood.  The  city 
has  grown  in  a  series  of  semicircular  canals,  called  grachts, 
around  the  Y,  the  principal  ones  being  the  Heerengracht, 
Keizersgracht,  and  Prinsengracht.  From  the  latter,  short 
streets  run  at  right  angles  towards  the  Singelgracht,  formerly 
known  as  the  Buitensingel,  or  outer  girdle,  which  separates 
the  old  part  of  the  town  from  the  new,  the  latter  lying  chiefly 
between  the  Amstel  and  Vondel  Park.  In  the  centre  of  the 
city  is  situated  the  Dam,  a  public  square  and  the  centre 
of  the  business  life.  Upon  it  stand  several  public  buildings, 
including  the  Royal  Palace  and  the  Nieuwe  Kerk  and 
private  houses  and  shops.  Here  the  tramcars  meet;  and 
here  the  chief  streets,  including  Kalver  Straat  and  Damrak, 
diverge.  Damrak  Straat  leads  past  the  Open  Haven  and 


AMSTERDAM  45 

takes  us  directly  to  the  Central  Railway  Station,  which, 
with  the  Eastern  and  Western  Stations,  erected  on  artificial 
islands,  separates  the  city  of  Amsterdam  from  the  Y. 

The  old  part  of  the  city  is,  of  course,  more  interesting 
than  the  new.  Among  its  crooked  streets  and  canals  the 
most  jaded  traveller  will  find  plenty  to  entertain  him,  while 
the  artist  and  lover  of  the  picturesque  will  delight  in  many 
quaint  and  choice  bits.  Walk,  for  instance,  down  Warmoes 
Straat  and  behind  the  Oude  Kerk,  whose  jangling  bells 
will  probably  chime  several  times  before  you  leave  the  vi- 
cinity, to  the  canal  behind  it,  and  look  at  the  long  row  of 
dilapidated  houses  reflected  in  the  sluggish  stream.  They 
present  a  curious  medley  of  steps  leading  to  the  canal  and 
balconies  overhanging  it,  window-shutters,  blinds  and  cur- 
tains of  varied  hues,  clothes  of  all  colours  and  sizes  dangling 
from  window  to  window  on  lines,  bird-cages  hanging  on  the 
wall,  and  pots  of  flowers  brightly  blooming  on  window- 
sills  and  doorsteps.  These  are  the  backs  of  houses,  generally 
one  room  deep,  and  inhabited,  as  you  will  find  out  if  you 
take  the  trouble  to  walk  to  the  next  street,  by  petty  shop- 
keepers. The  fronts  of  the  houses  are  much  neater  than 
the  backs  would  lead  you  to  suppose.  The  backs  on  the 
canals  are  somewhat  reminiscent  of,  though  far  more  pic- 
turesque than,  the  tenements  of  New  York.  Here  are 
milk-shops,  bake  shops  and  vegetable  shops  bearing  the 
legend  aardappel;  and  the  piles  and  baskets  of  potatoes 
offered  for  sale  show  that  apples  of  the  earth  are  the 
chief  commodity.  If  you  happen  to  be  walking  early  in 
the  morning,  you  will  see  the  postmen  in  their  pecu- 


46  HOLLAND 

liar  uniform  driving  by  in  the  delivery  waggons;  peasant 
women,  in  heavy,  clumsy  shoes,  short  skirt  and  white  cap, 
trudging  briskly,  across  the  bridges  and  down  the  streets; 
little  carts  filled  with  shining  brass  milk-tins  and  drawn  by 
the  ever-patient  dog;  and  occasionally  a  larger  cart  piled 
high  with  baskets  of  green  vegetables  until  it  has  reached 
four  times  its  original  size,  to  which  are  harnessed  two 
dogs  that  now  footsore  and  weary  from  their  long  journey 
to  the  city,  limp  painfully  upon  the  rough  cobble  stones. 

Very  little  life  is  stirring  at  this  early  hour.  Amsterdam 
is  a  late  town — late  to  bed  and  late  to  rise.  The  streets 
are  deserted  save  for  the  early  workmen  and  the  stray  dogs 
— yellow  curs  and  black  mongrels — that  sit  in  the  lonely 
doorways,  wander  aimlessly  about,  or  else  trot  along 
the  sides  of  the  grachts  and  over  the  bridges,  as  dogs 
do  when  they  are  on  errands  of  importance  known  only 
to  themselves.  Some  of  the  warehouses  have  now  opened, 
and  workmen  in  blue  blouses  are  busily  loading  the  barges 
that  lie  before  their  doors.  You  will  perhaps  stop  to 
see  one  of  these  heavily  laden  with  barrels,  and  watch 
with  wonder  the  single  man  push  off,  unaided,  by  means 
of  a  pole  and  slowly  punt  his  way  out  towards  the 
Y.  The  discordant  chimes  now  remind  you  that  your 
breakfast  of  rookflesch,  cheese,  black  bread  and  coffee  is 
awaiting  you,  and  on  your  way  towards  the  hotel  you  will 
find  the  streets  filled  with  maid-servants  beating  rugs  and 
carpets  before  the  houses  with  a  kind  of  wicker  paddle,  for 
every  piece  of  carpet  or  rug  in  the  house  must  be  carried 
into  the  street  and  violently  whipped  every  day.  Other 


AMSTERDAM  47 

servants  are  deluging  the  windows  with  water,  and  others 
are  even  brushing  off  the  lamp  posts. 

You  are  never  at  a  loss  for  a  picturesque  walk,  for  canals 
intersect  and  wind  about  the  city  in  every  direction,  dividing 
it  into  ninety  islands  spanned  by  three  hundred  bridges. 
The  canals  are  on  the  average  three  feet  in  depth.  Some 
of  them  are  very  narrow,  while  others,  for  instance  the 
Heerengracht  and  the  Keizersgracht,  are  150  feet  wide  and 
are  bordered  with  avenues  of  large  elms.  Here  are  to  be 
found  some  of  the  best  examples  of  Dutch  architecture 
of  the  Seventeenth  Century.  Among  other  residents  of 
wealth  and  fashion  on  the  Heerengracht  was  Burgomaster 
Six,  the  friend  and  patron  of  Rembrandt.  His  house  is 
now  unfortunately  rebuilt;  but  there  are  many  old  build- 
ings of  small  bricks,  leaning  out  of  plumb  and  reflecting 
their  white  trimmed  gables  into  the  canal  that  will  carry 
the  imaginative  traveller  into  the  past  of  Amsterdam's  com- 
mercial greatness,  when  she  was  one  of  the  richest,  if  not 
the  wealthiest,  of  cities  in  Europe. 

It  is  difficult  to  say  whether  the  buildings  or  the  boats 
contribute  most  to  the  physiognomy  of  Amsterdam.  The 
difference  is  this: — the  one  is  permanent;  the  other,  change- 
able. You  will  take  a  walk  one  evening  and  return  to 
your  hotel  with  a  memory  of  the  canals  so  filled  with  boats 
and  craft  of  so  many  kinds  that  it  seems  to  you  as  if  a 
feather  could  not  be  placed  between  any  two  of  them, — and 
when  you  repeat  your  walk  the  next  morning, — lo!  so  many 
of  them  have  sailed  or  rowed  or  poled  away,  that  the  canals 
are  almost  empty,  and  a  certain  feeling  of  desolation  reigns 


48  HOLLAND 

over  the  still  waters  that  now  reflect  only  the  trees  on 
either  side.  Two  or  three  days  may  elapse  before  the  canals 
are  really  gay  again:  a  stray  boat  or  two  will  enter,  and, 
perhaps,  several  will  come  together  and  contest  for  the  best 
little  dock  to  tie  up  to.  This  constant  change  and  incredible 
variety  in  the  population  of  the  canals  is,  I  think,  one  of  the 
chief  and  peculiar  charms  of  both  Amsterdam  and  Rotter- 
dam. You  will,  perhaps,  first  note  the  colours  of  the  boats 
that  traverse  the  whole  country  of  Holland,  through  its 
meadows  and  polders  from  one  end  to  another.  Many  of 
them  are  painted  a  bright  grass  green,  ornamented  with 
red  stripes  and  bands,  and  they  carry  red  sails  that  sun 
and  wind  have  turned  to  a  beautiful  shade  of  terra-cotta. 
Instead  of  a  centre-board,  these  boats  are  furnished  with 
a  curious  sort  of  movable  paddle  at  either  side,  shaped  like 
the  fin  of  a  fish.  Many  of  them  are  houses,  I  should  say 
homes,  as  well  as  carriers  of  produce.  The  little  square 
port-holes  are  draped  with  lace  curtains,  and  sometimes  a 
pot  of  red  geraniums  or  roses  stands  in  one  of  them;  and, 
if  one  is  open,  you  can  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  inhabitants 
within.  .Sometimes  men  and  women  are  seen  washing  their 
linen  in  the  canal  and  drying  it  on  the  deck,  or  they  are 
sitting  on  the  deck  drinking  tea  and  dipping  up  the  water 
from  or  washing  the  dishes  in  the  canal.  When  you  re- 
member that  all  the  drainage  of  the  city  flows  into  the  canals 
and  you  have  noted  that  the  waters  are,  as  a  rule,  very  slug- 
gish, despite  the  assurance  of  the  natives  that  the  canals  are 
freshened  by  the  waters  of  the  Zuyder  Zee,  you  would  prefer 
not  to  drink  tea  on  a  Dutch  barge.  If  the  owners  of  the 


AMSTERDAM  49 

boats  are  not  eating  and  drinking,  or  washing  their  clothes, 
they  are  very  apt  to  be  engaged  in  cleaning  something.  If 
it  is  not  in  sluicing  the  deck  and  washing  the  windows,  then 
it  is  in  rubbing  up  every  bit  of  already  bright  brass  that 
is  visible  on  the  boat.  Sometimes,  however,  the  skipper  will 
be  seen  idly  talking  to  a  neighbour  on  another  bright  green 
or  bright  blue  boat,  both  smoking  vigorously.  Here,  in- 
deed, is  a  new  community  to  take  into  consideration, — Hol- 
land's enormous  and  constantly  shifting  canal  population. 

It  is  interesting,  too,  to  note  the  cargoes  these  barges 
carry.  They  are  laden  with  boxes,  barrels,  hay,  cheese, — 
every  commodity  necessary  to  modern  life.  You  are  con- 
tinually surprised  at  the  heavy  load  that  one  man  will  un- 
dertake to  navigate  alone.  It  is  not  unusual  to  see  a  large 
barge  piled  up  with  a  pyramid  of  barrels  and,  standing  on 
it,  one  man,  who,  by  the  aid  of  a  long  pole,  slowly  pushes  his 
way  to  the  landing.  He  hardly  advances  more  than  an 
inch  at  a  time,  and  you  fear  that  the  pressure  of  the  pole 
will  wear  a  hole  through  his  bent  body.  Yet  on  he  toils. 
He  walks  to  the  end  of  the  boat,  plants  his  pole  firmly 
down  through  the  water  into  the  mud,  leans  his  breast  against 
it,  pushes  hard,  and  the  boat  moves  slowly  onward,  as  he 
walks  along  aft.  Then  having  advanced,  he  walks  forward, 
and,  again  planting  his  pole,  repeats  the  performance.  Poor 
man!  he  may,  indeed,  have  been  working  weeks  or  months 
in  this  slow  fashion,  creeping  from  canal  to  canal  through 
various  provinces  until  he  reaches  the  capital.  Then  he  must 
unload  and  reload,  and  return  as  he  came. 

How   strange  it  must  seem   to   the   residents   never   to 


50  HOLLAND 

know  what  boats  will  be  moored  before  their  doors!  Some 
families,  indeed,  especially  those  who  have  villas  on  the 
Singelgracht  with  pretty  and  well  kept  gardens  sloping  down 
to  the  canal,  erect  placards  prohibiting  landing  on  their 
premises. 

You  will  notice,  as  you  extend  your  walks,  that  the  same 
mania  for  cleaning  exists  in  the  rich  as  well  as  the  poor 
homes.  The  servant  maids,  in  their  lilac  gowns  and  wear- 
ing on  their  heads  a  peculiar  little  cap,  which  is  really 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  rosette  (and  this  rosette,  be 
it  noted,  is  generally  worn  awry  and  is  not  over  clean), 
beat  carpets  and  rugs,  and  wash  down  windows  and  door- 
steps and  scrub  the  lamp-posts  with  an  energy  that  is 
worthy  of  a  better  inspiration.  They  form,  indeed,  part 
of  the  street-life,  but  do  not  compare  in  tidiness  to  the 
London,  Paris  or  New  York  maids.  One  is  struck  by  the 
absence  of  horses  and  vehicles  drawn  by  horses.  Cabs  rattle 
by  over  the  very  rough  cobble  stones  that  pave  the  streets, 
postal-wagons  thunder  along,  and  conveyances  and  'buses 
from  the  hotels  and  private  equipages  are  occasionally  seen. 
The  bakers  and  butchers  and  candlestick-makers  and  all 
other  purveyors  appear  to  deliver  their  goods  by  means  of 
a  box  mounted  on  a  bicycle  worked  by  a  boy.  The 
streets  are  full  of  little  carts  or  booths  presided  over  by  a 
gentleman  in  white,  who  sells  ice-cream  and  sweet  cakes. 
Sometimes  the  canopy  of  these  booths  is  gaudily  painted. 
Occasionally  there  flits  by  a  curious  figure  clad  in  black. 
He  wears  low  shoes  and  knickerbockers,  a  long-tailed  coat 
and  a  shovel  hat!  It  is  a  Lutheran  preacher, — and  notwith- 


AMSTERDAM  51 

standing  his  solemn  face,  you  feel  that  his  right  place  is 
on  the  boards  of  the  Opera  Comique.  Another  strange 
figure  passes  by  you — an  old  woman  who  wears  a  brass 
helmet  upon  her  head!  This  is,  I  fancy,  the  most  singular 
of  all  singular  headdresses.  It  seems  to  be  in  three  pieces, 
one  fitting  tightly  over  the  back  of  the  head  down  to  the 
neck,  the  two  others  above  the  ears.  This  metal  plate  gives 
one  the  unhappy  impression  that  the  poor  thing's  head  or 
neck  has  been  broken  and  that  the  surgeon  has  done  the 
best  he  can  for  her.  Underneath  this  helmet  she  usually 
has  a  frill  of  lace  or  muslin,  and  above  it  she  not  unfre- 
quently  wears  a  bonnet  which  is  Holland's  interpretation 
of  the  latest  Parisian  confection  of  lace,  ribbon,  velvet, 
feathers,  or  flowers.  If  the  lady  is  in  mourning,  the  bonnet 
is  of  crape!  If  any  traveller  can  behold  this  for  the  first 
time  and  not  relax  his  or  her  features,  I  should  like  to  make 
that  person's  acquaintance.  Peasants  of  many  provinces 
are  often  seen,  particularly  in  the  more  crowrded  districts 
of  Damrak  and  Kalver  Straats,  the  Heerengracht  and  the 
Dam.  Sometimes  quite  young  and  very  healthful,  though 
not  at  all  beautiful,  women,  with  sandy  hair  and  ruddy 
complexions,  large  rough  hands  and  bare  red  arms  are  seen. 
They  wear,  as  a  rule,  short  striped  skirts,  white  napkin- 
like  headdresses,  black  bodices,  and  around  their  necks 
rows  upon  rows  of  beads.  Soldiers,  too,  are  very  much  in 
evidence.  They  might  indeed  be  accused  of  being  demo- 
cratic as  they  walk  about  with  their  swords  dragging  behind 
them  and  their  best  girls  or  wives  hanging  upon  their  arms. 
Business  men,  at  certain  times  of  the  day,  are  easily  spotted, 


52  HOLLAND 

— but  the  stranger  asks  where  are  the  shop-girls  and  the 
type-writer  class,  and  where  are  the  ladies  of  fashion  ?  The 
streets  are  wonderfully  quiet  and  deserted  until  the  shades 
of  evening  begin  to  fall  over  the  stage.  Then  it  is  that 
Amsterdam  awakes.  Let  us  go  down  Kalver  Straat, — the 
Regent  Street  of  Amsterdam.  Carriages  and  all  other  ve- 
hicles are  now  excluded.  Every  shop  is  brightly  illumi- 
nated and  windows  are  filled  with  goods  to  attract  the 
pedestrian;  but,  to  anyone  accustomed  to  the  choice  articles 
and  chic  styles  of  the  London,  Paris,  and  New  York  shops, 
Holland's  temptations  are  slight.  Guldens  remain  rooted 
in  one's  purse  and  have  not  the  wings  that  sovereigns,  francs 
and  dollars  possess.  However,  the  Amsterdammers  are  not 
of  this  opinion,  and  they  gaze  most  longingly  at  the  dis- 
play of  the  merchants  in  Kalver  Straat.  The  traveller  is 
astonished  to  see  that  every  shop  is  flanked  on  each  side 
by  a  cafe.  Some  of  the  cafes  are  immensely  large,  and  at 
the  windows  of  every  one,  sit  men  and  women,  rows  deep, 
watching  the  procession  as  it  moves  both  up  and  down  Kal- 
ver Straat,  for  the  sidewalks  and  the  centre  of  the  street 
are  likewise  thronged.  What  are  they  doing?  Well,  they 
are  drinking  sweet  syrups,  as  a  rule,  and  smoking,  of  course, 
and  enjoying  the  passers-by.  You  hear  the  click  of  billiard 
balls,  and  occasionally  a  song,  or  the  sound  of  an  instrument, 
— but  there  is  a  curious  feeling  that  everybody  is  waiting 
for  something  that  never  happens.  Kalver  Straat  takes  us 
into  the  Dam,  and  now  we  go  down  Damrak  Straat.  More 
cafes!  Many  houses  that  we  did  not  notice  when  the 
sun  was  shining  have  now  produced  innumerable  little  green 


AMSTERDAM  53 

iron  or  wicker-tables  and  chairs,  and  planted  them  in  rows 
upon  the  sidewalk, — and  every  one  of  these  is  engaged.  Here 
men  and  women  are  also  sipping  sweet  drinks  and  smok- 
ing and  watching  the  others  pass.  In  the  morning,  all 
these  tables  and  chairs  will  be  folded  up  and  carried  away, 
and  you  will  not  know  a  cafe  when  you  pass  by  it.  The 
most  celebrated  of  all  the  cafes  in  Amsterdam,  however,  is 
the  Krasnapolsky  on  Warmoes  Straat,  not  far  from  the  Oude 
Kerk.  This,  I  believe,  is  the  largest  cafe  in  Europe,  and  I 
am  sure  that  it  is  not  the  quietest.  No  one  save  Richard 
Strauss  could  reproduce  the  combination  of  sounds  that  issue 
from  Warmoes  Straat  at  night,  accented  by  the  curious  shuf- 
fling footsteps  of  the  Dutch  upon  the  pavement. 

Among  the  pleasures  of  Amsterdam  are  the  numerous 
excursions  that  it  affords.  Comfortable  little  boats  will 
take  you  for  a  small  price  to  many  points  of  interest  in 
the  Zuyder  Zee,  and  to  Alkmaar  and  Zaandam  and  other 
places  of  interest.  Before  embarking,  you  can  mark  the 
quaint  shipping  in  the  harbour  and  when  you  leave  the  dock 
gain  the  beautiful  panoramic  view  of  distant  Amsterdam. 
On  your  way  through  rippling  waters  and  waving  reeds,  you 
see  charming  scenes:  lush  green  meadows,  pretty  red  farm- 
houses veiled  by  grey-green  willows  or  flanked  by  tall 
poplars,  while  in  the  distance  innumerable  windmills  squat 
on  the  horizon  like  little,  grey  rabbits  twiddling  their  long 
ears.  Amsterdam  is  not  noticeably  strong  in  public  build- 
ings. It  is  the  general  collection  of  civic  and  domestic 
architecture  that  interests  the  visitor,  the  curious  leaning 
facades,  the  denticulated  and  heavily  trimmed  gables,  and 


54  HOLLAND 

the  delightful  variety  and  broken  lines  of  the  houses  that 
charm  the  eye;  and  when  seen  from  a  distance,  either  ap- 
proaching from  the  Y,  or  by  the  tram  that  leads  from  Haar- 
lem, the  roofs  and  towers  and  cupolas  mass  and  stand 
against  the  horizon  as  if  they  were  the  fancy  of  an  artist 
rather  than  an  unconscious  collection  of  buildings. 

The  chief  buildings  on  the  Dam  are  the  Royal  Palace  and 
the  Nieuwe  Kerk.  The  former,  intended  originally  for  a 
Town  Hall,  seems  rather  unfitting  for  a  royal  residence. 
It  was  built  in  the  Sixteenth  Century,  and  the  reader  will 
be  interested  to  learn  that  its  foundation  rests  upon  13,659 
piles.  The  building  is  massive  and  unpretentious;  its  roof 
is  pierced  by  gables  and  surmounted  by  a  cupola  containing 
a  chime  of  bells.  The  interior  has  been  altered,  although 
some  of  the  decorations  appropriate  to  a  civic  building  still 
adorn  various  rooms.  Several  rooms  are  furnished  in  the 
style  of  the  First  Empire. 

The  Nieuw^e  Kerk  was  erected  about  1408  and  has  been 
several  times  restored.  It  contains  a  richly  carved  pulpit 
of  the  Seventeenth  Century,  some  remnants  of  stained  glass, 
and  monuments  to  Admiral  de  Ruyter  and  other  heroes. 
This  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  churches  in  Holland. 
The  Oude  Kerk  is  at  least  a  century  older.  Its  fine  old 
Gothic  tower  dominates  nearly  every  distant  view  of  Am- 
sterdam. The  stained  glass  well  repays  examination.  That 
depicting  the  history  of  the  Virgin  dates  from  1555.  Two 
windows  by  the  entrance  are  decorated  with  the  arms  of 
all  the  burgomasters  of  Amsterdam  from  1578  to  1767. 

Two  other  towers  also  attract  the  eye:   one  is  the  Montal- 


AMSTERDAM  55 

baans,  a  t3rpical  Dutch  tower,  about  which  little  or  noth- 
ing is  known,  standing  on  the  Oude  Schans,  a  wide  canal 
leading  from  the  Eastern  Dock;  the  other,  the  Schreyers- 
toren,  or  Crier's  Tower,  so  called  because  here  the  friends 
and  relatives  of  the  bold  sea-farers  used  to  gather  to  bid 
them  farewell.  This  stands  on  the  Prins-Hendrik-Kade, 
originally  the  Buitenkant,  but  re-named  for  Prince  Henry 
of  the  Netherlands  in  1878.  Upon  it  is  situated  the  rather 
picturesque,  though  modern,  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  St. 
Nicholas,  built  in  1885-6,  and  which  blends  well  with  the 
other  buildings  of  Amsterdam  in  the  picture  seen  as  you 
approach  it  from  the  Y.  A  few  municipal  buildings,  dwell- 
ings of  distinguished  persons,  and  museums  end  the  list 
of  notable  buildings.  Yet  it  must  not  be  imagined  that 
one  can  dismiss  Amsterdam  satisfactorily  in  a  day  or  two. 
The  Rijks  Museum  alone  demands  as  much  time  as  the 
traveller  can  spare.  Taking  the  tram  at  the  Dam,  you 
pass  down  the  Spui  Straat,  and,  after  crossing  two  or  three 
canals,  find  yourself  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Vondel  Park. 
Here  the  Rijks  Museum  is  situated,  and  it  is  interesting 
to  note  that  the  streets  in  this  new  part  of  the  town  bear 
the  names  of  famous  Dutch  artists,  as,  for  example,  Paulus 
Potter,  Hobbema,  Honthorst,  etc.  The  Rijks  Museum  is 
a  fine,  large  building  occupying  about  three  acres  of  ground. 
It  faces  the  Stadhouders  Kade,  and  is  first  seen  across  the 
Singelgracht,  which  long  constituted  the  outer  rim  of  the 
city.  Notwithstanding  its  ornamental  facades,  handsome 
towers  and  decorations,  and  its  attractive,  though  small,  and 
formal  gardens,  including  a  holly  maze,  the  exterior  will 


56  HOLLAND 

not  detain  the  visitor  very  long.  He  will  be  too  anxious 
to  examine  the  treasures  within,  for  here  are  to  be  found  many 
of  the  finest  examples  of  Dutch  art.  Within  its  walls  are 
Rembrandt's  famous  Night  Watch  and  Van  der  Heist's 
Schuttersmaaltyd,  the  marvellous  Banquet  of  the  Arque- 
busiers  of  Amsterdam,  consisting  of  twenty-five  lifesize  por- 
traits, and  the  even  finer  work  opposite  by  the  same  painter, 
— the  Company  of  Capt.  Rcelof  Bicker  and  Lieut.  J.  M. 
Blauwe,  containing  thirty-two  lifesize  figures  in  very  bril- 
liant costumes.  Room  after  room  is  passed,  filled  with  the 
choicest  works  by  Frans  Hals,  van  Ostade,  Wouverman, 
Potter,  Flinck,  Rembrandt,  Terburg,  van  Mieris,  Metsu, 
Moreelse,  Jan  Steen,  Maes,  Dou,  Rubens,  Snyders,  Weenix, 
Hondecoeter,  de  Heem,  Ruysdael,  Hobbema,  Van  Goyen, 
Cuyp, — in  fact,  the  list  is  far  too  long  to  enumerate.  If 
several  days  are  needed  for  the  study  of  these  superb  can- 
vases, how  much  time  is  required  for  the  porcelains,  of 
which  there  is  a  marvellous  collection?  Then  there  is  one 
of  the  most  complete  collections  of  prints  and  engravings 
in  the  world,  and  when  we  come  to  the  glass,  the  wall- 
panelling,  chimney-pieces,  carvings,  tapestry  and  furniture, 
— it  will  easily  be  appreciated  that  weeks,  not  days,  are  nec- 
essary for  the  proper  study  of  the  Rijks  Museum.  The 
traveller  will  do  well  to  walk  down  Paulus  Potter  Street 
to  the  Stedelijk  Museum,  for  here  he  will  also  find  much 
to  interest  him,  especially  if  he  is  generous  in  tips.  If  he 
parts  with  a  gulden  or  two,  he  will  see  many  treasures  be- 
hind closed  doors. 

The  tower  known  as  the  Mint,  at  the  other  end  of  Kal- 


AMSTERDAM  57 

ver  Straat,  must  also  be  mentioned.  It  has  been  restored  and 
the  lower  part  of  it  is  now  used  as  a  shop. 

The  Geldersche  Kade  leads  from  the  Schreyerstoren  to 
the  Nieuwe  Markt,  by  the  side  of  which  is  the  Fish  Market. 
Between  the  two  stands  St.  Anthonieswaag,  the  old  weigh- 
house,  built  in  1488-1585.  This  old  town-gate  is  one  of  the 
most  delightful  constructions  in  Amsterdam.  The  large 
tower  that  rises  above  the  numerous  smaller  ones,  also 
covered  with  peaked  roofs,  was  built  in  1692. 

In  the  Fifteenth  Century,  St.  Anthony's  Gate  marked  the 
limitation  of  the  city  on  this  side  of  the  Binnen  Amstel, 
and  stood  partly  within  and  partly  without  the  walls;  but 
Holland's  rapidly  growing  city  quickly  pushed  beyond  the 
gate  even  in  the  Sixteenth  Century.  Here  various  guilds 
and  societies  used  to  meet,  notably  St.  Luke's  guild  of 
painters  and  sculptors.  The  room  occupied  by  the  mason's 
guild  is  unaltered  and  in  that  in  one  of  the  towers  used  as 
a  dissecting-room  by  the  surgeons  Rembrandt's  famous 
School  of  Anatomy,  now  in  the  Mauritshuis  in  The  Hague, 
originally  hung.  Not  far  from  this  romantic  pile  is  the 
Jewish  quarter,  which  is  well  worth  a  visit.  The  children 
of  Israel  have  dwelt  here  for  centuries,  and  here  the  lover 
of  Rembrandt  may  see  familiar  scenes  and  types.  The 
streets  and  canals  are  narrow  and  winding,  the  houses  tall 
and  black,  the  bridges  high  and  the  windows  small;  and 
from  the  latter  hang  all  kinds  of  rags  and  garments.  The 
streets  fairly  swarm  with  human  beings  of  the  Oriental 
cast  of  face  and  feature.  Those  who  are  not  crying  old 
clothes  and  fish  and  curios  and  trinkets  in  the  streets  are 


5  8  HOLLAND 

sitting  idly  at  the  doors,  for  in  this  quarter  the  inhabitants 
appear  to  live  in  the  open  air.  The  Rembrandt  lover  may 
easily  find  the  house  in  Jodenbree-Straat  near  the  bridge, 
where  the  great  artist  lived  from  1640  to  1656. 

During  the  persecution  of  the  Jews  in  the  Middle  Ages, 
Amsterdam  was  regarded  as  a  harbour  of  refuge:  indeed  it 
became  almost  a  second  Jerusalem.  After  the  sack  of 
Antwerp  in  1576,  there  was  an  influx  of  Portuguese  Jews, 
who  introduced  the  art  of  diamond  polishing  for  which 
Amsterdam  had  a  monopoly.  This  craft  is  still  carried  on, 
but  is  no  longer  Amsterdam's  exclusive  privilege.  The  most 
important  mills  are  situated  in  the  Zwanenburger-Straat 
and  the  Roeterseiland,  on  the  Achter  Gracht. 


ZAANDAM 

EDMONDO   DE   AM1CIS 

ZAANDAM,  seen  from  the  gulf  of  Y,  looks  exactly 
like  a  fortress  encircled  by  a  crown  of  a  myriad  of 
towers,  from  the  tops  of  which  the  citizens,  wav- 
ing their  arms  with  frantic  gestures,  are  imploring  help 
against  some  invisible  foe.  The  towers  subsequently  turn 
out  to  be  merely  so  many  windmills,  raising  their  bulky 
forms  among  the  houses  along  the  dykes  and  the  coast,  all 
over  the  country  in  the  midst  of  which  the  town  is  situated ; 
some  of  them  are  employed  in  draining  the  soil,  others  in 
manufacturing  rape  oil,  which  constitutes  one  of  the  most 
important  items  of  Zaandam's  trade;  some  in  grinding 
to  powder  a  kind  of  volcanic  peat  which  is  drifted  ashore  by 
the  Rhine,  and  is  used  to  manufacture  a  peculiar  kind  of 
cement  employed  in  hydraulic  works;  others  in  sawing  tim- 
ber, grinding  barley  and  paint,  making  paper,  mustard, 
enamel,  starch  and  paste.  The  town  remains  hidden 
from  view  until  a  few  minutes  before  entering  the  har- 
bour. 

It  resembles  a  scene  in  an  Arcadian  ballet.  It  is  built  on 
the  two  banks  of  a  river  called  Zaan,  which  flows  into 
the  Y,  and  round  a  small  creek  formed  by  the  Y  itself,  which 
does  duty  for  a  harbour.  The  town  is  divided  into  two  equal 
portions,  connected  by  a  bridge  which  can  be  raised  to  allow 
of  vessels  passing  through.  There  are  but  few  streets  and 

59 


60  HOLLAND 

few  houses  in  the  vicinity  of  the  docks.  The  principal 
part  of  the  town  is  scattered  along  the  banks  of  the  Zaan. 
Zaandam  is  a  larger  Broek,  only  prettier  and  not  so  childish 
as  its  smaller  counterpart. 

The  houses  are  all  one-storied  wooden  structures,  with 
peaked  fagades,  and  almost  all  painted  green.  There  are 
whole  streets  where  not  a  vestige  of  any  other  colour  is  to 
be  detected,  till  the  general  aspect  is  that  of  a  town  carved 
in  box  and  myrtle.  As  in  Broek,  the  tiles  on  the  housetops 
are  varnished,  the  windows  adorned  with  curtains  and  flow- 
ers, the  streets  paved  with  bricks  and  as  clean  as  a  ball-room 
floor.  You  see  your  own  image  reflected  in  the  metal  plates 
on  the  street  doors,  on  all  the  things  displayed  upon  the 
window-sills.  A  most  attractive  aspect  of  fresh  and  joyous 
innocence  pervades  the  whole  place.  It  is  a  wealthy  and 
populous  city,  yet  its  outward  appearance  is  that  of  a  small 
village.  It  possesses  all  the  characteristic  features  of  a  Dutch 
town,  and  at  the  same  time  has  a  novel  and  exotic  appearance 
that  defies  description,  and  seems  to  place  it  at  a  boundless 
distance  from  all  the  rest. 

Being  a  holiday,  the  streets  were  thronged  with  people 
going  to  and  from  church.  The  first  thing  that  attracted 
my  attention  was  the  head-dress  worn  by  the  women.  Be- 
neath a  hat  profusely  laden  with  flowers,  they  wear  a  kind 
of  lace  cap  hanging  down  upon  their  shoulders.  From  under 
it,  two  knots  of  hair  curled  and  smoothed  down  till  they 
look  like  bunches  of  vine  tendrils  fall  down  upon  the  fore- 
head. The  gold  or  silver  band  encircling  their  heads  and 
shining  from  under  the  lace  of  the  cap  terminates  on  the 


ZAANDAM  6 1 

temple  with  two  small  plates  of  the  same  metal,  bent  for- 
ward and  ornamented  with  a  rosette  in  the  centre.  Another 
band  of  gilt  or  wrought  metal,  a  sort  of  metallic  ribbon, 
attached  somehow  to  the  circlet,  crosses  the  forehead  ob- 
liquely, sloping  down  to  the  opposite  temple  or  the  eye,  look- 
ing as  if  it  were  a  part  of  the  band  itself,  broken  off  or 
allowed  to  hang  down  through  carelessness  or  coquetry. 
Two  long  pins  vertically  attached  to  the  ends  of  the  band 
stick  up  like  a  pair  of  horns  over  the  two  bunches  of  curls. 
Long  earrings  dangle  from  the  ears,  the  neck  is  adorned  with 
several  strings  of  beads,  and  the  whole  expanse  of  neck  is 
covered  with  as  many  buckles,  clasps  and  chains  as  would 
fill  a  jeweller's  shop-window.  All  the  women  wear  the 
same  head-dress  with  but  slight  modifications;  they  have  all 
the  same  pink  and  white  complexion,  and  display  the  same 
want  of  taste  in  their  way  of  dressing,  so  that  at  first  sight 
the  stranger  is  unable  to  distinguish  a  peasant  woman  from 
a  lady.  It  certainly  would  be  hazardous  to  maintain  that 
their  head-dress,  or  the  profusion  of  ornaments  they  wear 
about  their  person,  are  either  elegant  or  becoming,  and  yet 
their  white  faces  peeping  out  from  under  that  mass  of  lace 
and  gold,  this  mixture  of  the  princely  and  the  rustic  ele- 
ment of  opulence  and  dinginess,  of  ingenuousness  and  os- 
tentation is  stamped  with  a  grace  peculiarly  its  own,  har- 
monising admirably  with  the  outward  appearance  of  the 
whole  town;  and  when  the  first  feeling  of  astonishment 
called  forth  by  it  has  been  got  over,  is  found  to  be  rather 
pleasing  and  attractive  than  otherwise. 

Even  little  girls  wear  a  diadem  and  lace  cap.     The  men 


62  HOLLAND 

dress  mostly  in  black.  And  withal,  girls,  big  and  little,  men, 
women,  young  and  old,  all  seem  to  be  content  with  their 
lot,  all  wear  an  indescribable  look  of  ingenuous  innocence 
and  freshness  which  makes  it  hard  to  believe  that  they  are 
Europeans  of  the  present  century,  and  which  rather  leads 
you  to  fancy  yourself  upon  some  other  continent,  in  a  dif- 
ferent era  of  civilisation,  or  in  a  country'  where  wealth 
flourishes  independent  of  labour,  where  life  flows  on  un- 
disturbed by  passions,  where  society  is  ruled  and  progresses 
without  shocks  or  perturbations,  where  no  one  desires  any- 
thing but  peace.  And  if,  while  these  thoughts  are  passing 
through  your  brain,  the  silvery  tones  of  a  clock  upon  a 
neighbouring  church  tower  ring  out  some  well  known  popu- 
lar ditty,  the  delusion  is  complete,  and  you  feel  you  would 
like  to  bring  your  family  and  friends  over  to  Zaandam  and 
end  your  days  in  one  of  these  green  cottages. 

But,  even  granting  that  this  blissful  state  is  but  apparent, 
it  is  none  the  less  an  incontrovertible  fact  that  Zaandam  is 
one  of  the  most  prosperous  towns  in  Holland,  that  many  of 
these  little  green  cottages  are  inhabited  by  millionaire  ship- 
builders, and  that  there  is  not  a  starving  family,  nor  a  home- 
less child  to  be  found  in  the  whole  place. 

Besides  this,  Zaandam  can  boast  of  possessing  what  Na- 
poleon I.  called  Holland's  finest  monument,  namely,  Peter 
the  Great's  hut,  in  honour  of  which  the  town  was  at  one 
time,  and  still  is  by  many  people  called  Czardam,  or  Saar- 
dam.  A  legion  of  guides  murmur  the  name  of  this  world- 
renowned  hovel  into  the  ear  of  every  stranger  who  comes  to 
Zaandam,  and  it  may  be  said  that  it  constitutes  the  great 


ZAANDAM  63 

and   sole  attraction   which   induces   foreigners  to  visit   this 
town. 

When  and  wherefore  the  great  Emperor  came  to  live  in 
that  hovel  is  well  known  to  everyone.  After  defeating  the 
Tartars  and  the  Turks,  and  entering  Moscow  in  triumph, 
the  youthful  Czar  determined  to  undertake  a  journey  to 
all  the  principal  European  Courts  in  order  to  study  their 
trade  and  commerce.  Accompanied  by  three  ambassadors, 
four  secretaries,  twelve  noblemen,  fifty  retainers,  and 
one  dwarf,  he  quitted  his  dominions  in  April  of  the 
year  1697,  passed  through  Livonia,  Brandenburg,  Pom- 
erania,  Berlin,  Westphalia,  and  arrived  at  Amsterdam 
fifteen  days  before  his  suite.  Unknown  to  anyone  he  spent 
some  time  in  the  Admirality  dockyards  of  this  town, 
and  in  order  to  learn  by  personal  experience  the  art 
of  ship-building,  in  which  at  that  time  the  Dutch  nation 
had  attained  a  very  high  degree  of  proficiency,  he  donned 
the  garb  of  a  sailor  and  went  to  Zaandam,  whose  docks 
had  the  reputation  of  being  the  best  in  Holland.  Assuming 
the  name  of  Peter  Michaeloff,  he  proffered  his  services  to 
one  Mynher  Calf,  a  wealthy  shipbuilder.  He  caused  his 
name  to  be  entered  among  those  of  other  workmen,  he 
worked  hard  as  carpenter,  smith  and  ropemaker,  and  as  long 
as  he  remained  at  Zaandam  he  wore  the  same  dress  and  lived 
upon  the  same  food  as  his  fellow  workmen,  and  slept  as  they 
did  in  a  wooden  hut,  the  one  at  present  exhibited.  It  is  not 
known  certainly  how  long  he  remained  at  Zaandam.  Some 
suppose  that  he  stayed  there  several  months,  others  main- 
tained with  more  probability  that,  exasperated  by  the  inquisi- 


64  HOLLAND 

tiveness  of  the  inhabitants,  he  only  remained  there  a  week. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  an  indisputable  fact  that  when  he 
returned  again  to  Amsterdam,  after  a  brief  absence,  he  built 
with  his  own  hands  in  the  India  Company's  docks,  a  vessel 
of  sixty  guns;  that  he  studied  mathematics,  the  physical 
sciences,  geography,  anatomy  and  painting,  and  that  he  left 
Holland  in  January,  1698,  for  London. 

The  memorable  hut  is  situated  on  the  outskirts  of  Zaan- 
dam  in  sight  of  the  open  country,  enclosed,  so  to  speak,  in 
a  small  brick  building  which  Queen  Anna  Pawlovna  of 
the  Netherlands,  a  Russian  by  birth,  caused  to  be  erected 
to  shelter  it  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather.  It  is  a 
regular  fisherman's  hut,  built  of  wood,  consisting  of  two 
small  rooms,  but  in  so  dilapidated  and  tumbledown  a  con- 
dition that,  were  it  not  for  the  sheltering  structure  around 
it,  a  gust  of  wind  would  easily  blow  it  to  pieces.  The  first 
room  one  enters  contains  three  rude  benches,  a  broad  table, 
a  cupboard  bed,  and  a  large  fire-place  of  the  old-fashioned 
Flemish  style.  In  the  second  room  are  two  large  portraits, 
Peter  the  Great,  in  workman's  garb,  and  the  Empress  Cath- 
erine. Russian  and  Dutch  flags  are  suspended  from  the  ceil- 
ing. The  tables,  walls,  door-posts,  doors  and  beams  are  all 
covered  with  names,  poetry,  mottoes  and  inscriptions  in  all 
languages  of  the  globe.  A  marble  slab,  inscribed  with  Petro 
magno  Alexander  was  placed  there  by  order  of  the  Emperor 
Alexander  of  Russia  in  commemoration  of  his  having  visited 
it  in  1839,  anQl  underneath  it  is  a  line  by  a  Russian  poet, 
saying:  "Over  this  humble  abode  holy  angels  wing  their 
flight.  Bow  down,  Czarewich.  Here  is  the  cradle  of  thine 


ZAANDAM  65 

Empire,  here  Russia's  greatness  first  saw  the  light."  Other 
stone  slabs  commemorate  the  visits  of  kings  and  princes; 
more  verses,  and  especially  Russian  inscriptions  expressing 
the  joy  and  enthusiasm  of  fanatic  hero  worshippers  upon 
attaining  the  end  of  their  pilgrimage.  One  of  these  inscrip- 
tions mentions  that  it  was  from  this  hovel  that  Peter  Mich- 
aeloff,  the  carpenter,  directed  the  operations  of  the  Musco- 
vite army  fighting  the  Turks  in  the  Ukraine  plains. 

As  I  was  retracing  my  steps  towards  the  centre  of  the 
town,  I  was  thinking  that  the  proudest  day  in  the  life  of 
Peter  the  Great  must  have  been  that  on  which  he  fell  asleep 
in  this  very  hut  after  having  tasted  of  hard  manual  labour 
for  the  first  time,  just  as  his  happiest  one  must  have  been 
the  day  when,  eighteen  years  later,  he  returned  in  the  full 
flush  of  his  might  and  glory  to  show  Catherine  the  place 
where,  studying  the  trade  of  carpenter,  he  had  learned  that 
of  Emperor.  The  inhabitants  proudly  recollect  that  day, 
and  speak  of  it  as  of  an  event  they  had  personally  witnessed. 
The  Czarina  had  stayed  behind  at  Wesel;  the  Czar  arrived 
at  Zaandam  alone.  We  can  fancy  how  joyfully,  how 
proudly  he  was  welcomed  by  the  merchants,  the  carpenters, 
the  seamen,  whose  comrade  he  had  been  eighteen  years  before. 
For  the  world,  he  was  the  civiliser  of  Russia,  the  victor 
of  Pultowa,  the  builder  of  Petersburg,  but  for  them  he  was 
plain  Peterbas,  Master  Peter,  as  they  familiarly  called  him 
in  the  days  when  they  worked  together.  He  was  a  child  of 
Zaandam  who  had  attained  the  rank  of  Emperor,  he  was  an 
old  friend  coming  back  again  to  his  familiar  circle.  Ten 
days  after  giving  birth  to  a  daughter,  the  Czarina  joined 


66  HOLLAND 

her  husband  at  Zaandam,  and  she  too  was  desirous  of  seeing 
his  former  dwelling.  The  Emperor  and  Empress  unaccom- 
panied by  any  suite,  without  pomp  or  solemnity,  went  to 
dine  at  Mynher  Calf's,  the  ship-builder  who,  in  the  days 
of  yore,  had  engaged  the  crowned  workman.  They  were 
followed  by  a  crowd,  shouting:  "  Long  live  Master  Peter!  " 
and  Master  Peter,  the  exterminator  of  boyards  and  strelitzes, 
the  merciless  judge  of  his  own  son,  the  awe-inspiring  po- 
tentate, wept. 

Zaandam,  seen  from  the  river,  is  a  motley  confusion  of 
little  green  houses,  roofed  with  tiles  of  brightest  red,  sur- 
mounted by  kiosks,  painted  green,  with  multicoloured  stream- 
ers, or  many-hued  wooden  balls,  strung  upon  an  iron  rod, 
turrets  surmounted  by  balustrades  or  bowers,  buildings  imi- 
tating Greek  temples  and  villas,  booths  and  huts  of  hitherto 
unseen  forms  and  colours,  whimsically  piled  up  over  each 
other  or  huddled  closely  together  as  if  they  were  fighting 
for  breathing  room;  a  flimsy  style  of  architecture,  all  vanity 
and  outward  show.  Among  these  buildings,  run  streets, 
so  narrow  as  scarcely  to  allow  room  for  one  person  to  pass 
along,  squares  no  larger  than  a  moderate  sized  room,  court- 
yards of  about  the  size  of  a  table,  canals  that  only  a  duck 
can  swim  upon,  and  in  front,  between  each  house  and  the 
river,  toy  gardens,  bristling  with  sheds,  poultry  hutches, 
bowers,  lattice-work,  toy  windmills,  and  weeping  willows 
are  daintily  laid  out;  in  front  of  the  gardens  on  the  bank 
of  the  river  are  miniature  harbours,  teeming  with  little  green 
boats,  moored  to  posts  greener  still.  Above  this  medley  of 
gardens  and  buildings  tower  the  tall  windmills,  also  painted 


ZAANDAM  67 

green  edged  with  white,  or  white  edged  with  green,  with  their 
sails  painted  like  flag-staffs  and  their  axles  gilt  and  orna- 
mented with  multicoloured  whirligigs;  green  belfrys,  var- 
nished from  top  to  bottom,  little  churches  looking  like 
village  theatres,  painted  in  squares,  with  borders  of  all  the 
colours  of  the  rainbow.  But  what  is  stranger  still  is  that 
the  buildings,  small  enough  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  di- 
minish in  size  as  you  proceed  further  inland,  as  if  the  in- 
habitants had  been  classed  in  order  of  their  stature,  so  that 
at  length  the  houses  dwindle  down  to  mere  sentry-boxes, 
hutches,  mousetraps,  bandboxes,  oubliettes  which  might 
easily  be  taken  to  be  the  projecting  housetops  of  a  buried 
city;  a  miniature  style  of  architecture  which  makes  houses 
you  would  merely  need  to  stretch  your  arm  out  to  touch 
appear  as  if  they  were  a  long  way  off;  a  tiny  model  of  a 
town,  a  regular  human  hive,  where  children  look  like  giants, 
and  cats  spring  up  upon  the  housetops  from  the  street  below 
at  one  leap ;  where  a  garden  is  effectually  blocked  up  by  one 
chair,  a  bower  is  barely  large  enough  to  contain  one  person, 
an  arbour  is  of  about  the  size  of  an  umbrella,  and,  to  com- 
plete the  picture,  the  inevitable  weeping  willow,  little  steps 
of  stairs,  still  smaller  windmills,  gaudy  streamers,  bright 
hued  flowers  filling  all  vacant  spaces. 


MAARKEN 

CHARLES  S.   PELHAM-CLINTON 

A  undoubted  result  of  our  modern  civilisation  is  the 
destruction  of  old  landmarks  and  the  reduction 
to  a  monotonous  dead  level  of  the  costumes  of 
the  world.  In  a  few  places,  however,  we  still  find  the 
primitive  costumes  of  the  inhabitants  preserved,  but  such 
spots  are  very  few  and  far  between.  One  of  these  spots  is 
the  quaint  little  island  of  Maarken  in  the  Zuyder  Zee, 
though  it  is  very  hard  to  determine  why  an  island  so  close 
to  a  large  city  like  Amsterdam,  and  apparently  having  such 
a  large  amount  of  intercourse  with  it,  should  have  retained 
its  simple  customs  and  primitive  costumes  all  these  years. 
Perhaps  the  reason  is  to  be  found  in  the  shallow  water  which 
surrounds  it  and  prevents  any  but  local  boats  from  reaching 
its  shores;  but  when  the  reclamation  of  the  Zuyder  Zee 
becomes  an  accomplished  fact — and  that  it  will  do  so  there 
is  but  little  doubt — quaint  Maarken  and  its  quainter  in- 
habitants 'will  be  among  the  things  of  the  past. 

The  island  can  be  reached  from  Monnikendam,  which 
is  best  reached  by  the  light  railways  that  form  a  net- 
work all  over  Holland,  and  is  about  an  hour's  sail  from 
that  old-world  little  Dutch  village.  The  usual  way  of 
getting  there,  however,  is  by  the  Sunday  steamer  from 
Amsterdam,  which  during  the  summer  takes  a  large  number 
of  excursionists  who  wish  to  see  one  of  the  most  curious 

spots  in  Western  Europe. 

68 


MAARKEX  69 

After  leaving  Amsterdam  the  boat  passed  through  the 
locks  into  the  Zuyder  Zee,  and  eventually  came  to  an  an- 
chor about  a  mile  from  the  island,  which  even  at  this  dis- 
tance appeared  little  more  than  a  bank  with  a  forest  of 
masts  rising  from  the  harbour,  and  a  few  steeples  and 
lighthouses.  A  couple  of  broad-bowed  fishing-smacks  soon 
made  their  appearance  from  the  harbour,  and  we  were  at 
once  made  acquainted  with  the  curious  costume  worn  by 
the  men  of  Maarken,  which  consists  of  a  species  of  skirt, 
or  tight-fitting  coat,  buttoned  at  the  side,  made  of  dark 
blue  or  brown  serge,  having  a  double  row  of  black  buttons, 
the  top  being  fastened  by  a  double  gold  button  in  the  form 
of  a  link.  The  boys'  coats,  as  a  rule,  had  a  silver  button, 
but  the  men,  almost  without  exception,  had  the  more 
precious  metal.  A  coloured  kerchief  was  loosely  tied  round 
the  neck,  and  on  the  head  was  a  closely  fitting  cap  with  a 
shiny  peak.  It  was  the  breeches,  however,  that  were  so 
extraordinary,  there  being  more  stuff  in  each  leg  than  in 
an  ordinary  woman's  skirt;  and  when  the  wind  blew  against 
it  and  spread  out  the  folds  it  fairly  astonished  one :  gathered 
in  at  the  waist  and  at  the  knee,  the  size  was  accentuated  by 
a  perfectly  straight  leg  in  almost  every  case  devoid  of  calf, 
covered  with  a  dark  blue  stocking,  or  in  some  cases  a 
gaiter  and  a  wooden  sabot,  which  was  kicked  off  on 
board  ship,  the  sole  of  the  stocking  being  covered  with 
leather. 

The  men  on  the  boats  were  a  specimen  of  what  we  saw 
all  over  the  island,  being  tall  and  powerfully  made,  with 
harsh  but  not  unpleasant  features,  one  curious  idiosyncrasy 


70  HOLLAND 

being  that  I  did  not  see  a  single  man  with  the  peak  of  his 
cap  straight  on  his  head. 

The  number  of  people  these  skimming-dishes  which  are 
used  for  fishing-boats  on  the  Zuyder  Zee  can  carry  is  ex- 
traordinary7, and  the  whole  of  our  steamer's  passengers  were 
speedily  on  board  the  t\vo  smacks,  which  soon  took  us 
through  the  entrance  to  the  harbour,  where  wre  were  greeted 
by  a  throng  of  at  least  two  hundred  children  and  grown-up 
people,  all  of  whom  were  dressed  in  the  costume  of  the 
island.  I  dare  say  to  Maarken  eyes  our  costumes  seemed 
fully  as  quaint  as  theirs  did  to  us;  and  even  to  ourselves 
some  of  those  on  board  were  got  up  in  a  fashion  that  ex- 
cited one's  risible  faculties. 

What  first  attracted  me  was  the  extraordinary  shape  of 
the  children,  none  of  whom  were  less  than  twice  the  width 
round  the  hips  that  they  were  round  the  chest.  I  found, 
however,  that  art,  and  not  nature,  had  caused  this  extraor- 
dinary phenomenon,  the  Maarken  idea  of  beauty  in  a  lady's 
figure  being  by  no  means  what  it  is  in  other  countries, 
where  a  slim  figure  is  the  aim  and  object  of  female  exist- 
ence. L  did  not  make  an  anatomical  examination  of  the 
Maarken's  women's  costumes,  but  the  ladies  of  our  party 
did  and  I  was  informed  that  the  tub-like  effect  in  both 
them  and  the  children  was  produced  by  a  number  of  padded 
petticoats,  which  are  first  put  on  and  then  covered  by  the 
plain  red  or  blue  serge  skirt,  which  forms  the  outer  dress, 
and  which  has  a  sort  of  worked  band  at  the  waist.  The 
bodice  of  the  dress  is  very  quaint,  and  consists  of  three 
separate  visible  pieces;  of  the  invisible  parts  I  can  tell 


MAARKEX  71 

nothing,  but  the  length  of  the  arm  is  covered  by  a  sleeve 
of  much  the  same  material  as  that  of  which  the  dress  is 
formed.  As  far  down  as  the  elbow  come  the  sleeves  of  a 
sort  of  shirt  of  cambric  or  linen,  the  collar  of  which  ap- 
pears occasionally  at  the  throat,  though,  as  a  rule,  this  is 
closely  covered  up  with  a  kind  of  over-corsage  worked  in 
many  colours  on  a  red  or  blue  ground.  The  hair  is  worn 
in  plaits  at  either  side  in  front  of  the  ears,  the  front  hair 
being  cut  short  and  appearing  just  below  the  headdress, 
which  is  of  white  cambric,  rather  like  a  nightcap,  tied  close 
over  the  ears  and  on  gala  occasions  having  a  second  cap 
worked  in  bright  colours  partially  pulled  over  it.  The  whole 
effect  is  quaint  in  the  extreme,  and  the  children — for  boys 
also,  until  six  or  seven  years  old,  wear  the  same  dress — 
clatter  about  in  their  wooden  sabots,  not  disdaining,  though 
they  may  be  the  offspring  of  the  local  capitalist,  to  beg 
for  coin  or  pose  for  coppers  before  the  camera. 

The  women's  costumes  are  made  during  the  long  winter, 
and  it  takes  many  months  to  work  their  intricate  patterns, 
but,  when  finished  they  last  a  very  long  time.  No  other 
costume  is  to  be  seen  among  the  women  of  the  island;  old 
and  young  alike  are  dressed  the  same,  and  fashions  have 
not  altered  in  the  past  century  or  two;  and  from  the  sabots 
to  the  top  of  the  starched  head-dress  the  Maarken  belle  of 
to-day  is  dressed  in  exactly  the  same  way  as  her  great-great- 
grandmother  was  in  the  year  of  grace  1700. 

The  island  itself  is  rescued  from  the  encroachments  of 
the  sea  by  the  embankments  so  general  in  Holland,  and  the 
inhabitants,  of  whom  there  are  about  one  thousand,  live  in 


72  HOLLAND 

seven  villages  built  on  a  corresponding  number  of  mounds, 
which  prevent  the  encroachments  of  the  floods  which  every 
year  partially  cover  the  island,  the  water  having  to  be 
pumped  out  by  the  curious  little  windmills  to  be  seen  on 
every  side.  The  men  gain  their  living  by  fishing,  and  they 
are  said  to  be  the  best  fishermen  in  the  Zuyder  Zee,  and 
they  are  so  thrifty  that  the  larger  number  have  considerable 
sums  laid  by. 

The  houses  are  mostly  two-storied,  a  very  narrow  stair- 
case or  else  a  ladder  leading  to  the  upper  rooms;  their 
cleanliness  is  extraordinary,  and  the  art  treasures  to  be  found 
in  some  of  the  poorest-looking  cottages  are  a  matter  for 
surprise  to  everybody  who  visits  the  island.  Not  one  of 
these  treasures  will  the  Maarken  fishermen  dispose  of,  and 
no  offer  will  tempt  them  to  sell  the  quaintly  carved  chairs 
and  charming  pieces  of  Delft,  the  curious  old  Dutch  clocks, 
or  the  pictures  that  have  in  many  cases  been  handed  down 
from  father  to  son  for  generations.  They  will  sell  the 
produce  of  their  nets  or  the  costumes  worked  during  the 
winter,  but  these  old  heirlooms  they  will  not  part  with, 
and  the  -islander  who  would  do  so  would  have  a  sorry 
time  of  it  in  the  future.  Money  has  no  fascination  for 
them  in  this  case.  The  small  meadows,  divided  from  each 
other  by  tiny  canals,  which  are  crossed  in  their  turn  by  little 
swing  hand-bridges,  give  just  enough  sustenance  to  the  cows 
that  supply  milk  for  consumption  fresh  and  for  making  cheese, 
while  a  few  sheep  eke  out  a  poor  existence  and  supply  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  wool,  more  of  this  coming  from  the  mainland, 
as  does  dress  material  and  the  flour  and  groceries  consumed. 


MAARKEN  73 

There  is  a  not  tree  on  the  island;  and  I  do  not  remember 
seeing  more  than  a  dozen  bushes,  and  these  seemed  to  possess 
but  a  weak  hold  on  life. 

Uneventful  as  life  is  there,  Maarken  has  its  history,  for 
in  the  middle  of  the  Thirteenth  Century  the  Premontre 
monks  established  themselves  on  the  island,  building  a  clois- 
ter and  a  church,  the  latter  being  called  Marienhot  and 
being  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary;  it  stood  till  1845, 
though  it  was  only  built  of  wood,  but  in  that  year  had  to 
be  pulled  down,  when  it  was  replaced  by  the  present  struc- 
ture, which  is  of  little  interest.  The  monks  who  erected 
the  original  building  only  remained  on  the  island  for  about 
a  century,  and  in  1346,  Margaret,  the  wife  of  the  Emperor 
Louis,  ceded  this  amongst  other  islands  to  the  burghers  of 
Amsterdam.  A  hundred  years  later  the  inhabitants  had  so 
much  increased  in  wealth  that  the  island  was  worth  the 
attention  of  their  neighbours  from  Kampen,  who  paid  it  a 
visit  and  pillaged  it,  an  attack  which  its  fortunes  never 
recovered  and  the  poverty  of  its  inhabitants  guarded  them 
from  further  interference.  Fire,  however,  has  twice  or  three 
times  in  each  century  partially  destroyed  the  various  ham- 
lets, but  they  have  always  sprung  up  again,  maintaining 
their  original  plan  of  construction. 


ALKHAAR 

EDMONDO    DE   AMICIS 

AFER  leaving  Zaandam  in  its  wake,  the  steamer  that 
was  to  carry  me  to  Alkmaar  pursued  its  course 
for  a  considerable  length  of  time  between  two  un- 
interrupted ranges  of  windmills,  stopping  for  a  minute  or 
so  at  several  villages,  turned  down  into  the  Market  Vaart 
Canal,  crossed  the  Lake  of  Alkmaar  and  finally  entered  the 
great  Noord  Canal.  We  were  in  the  very  centre  of  North 
Holland,  that  small  peninsula  bounded  by  the  German 
Ocean  and  the  Zuyder  Zee,  which  lies  almost  entirely  below 
the  level  of  the  surrounding  waters,  protected  from  them 
on  the  one  side  by  the  dunes,  on  the  other  by  a  series  of 
colossal  dykes,  irregularly  interspersed  with  innumerable 
canals,  marshes  and  lakes,  which  give  to  it  the  aspect  of  a 
partially  submerged  territory,  destined  shortly  to  vanish  alto- 
gether beneath  the  waters.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach 
the  uniform  monotony  of  the  boundless  level  plain  was 
broken  only  by  a  few  clumps  of  trees,  a  sail  or  two,  and 
here  and  there  a  windmill. 

The  part  of  the  Noord  Canal  we  were  then  upon  runs 
along  the  Beemster  polder,  the  largest  expanse  of  land 
drained  in  the  Seventeenth  Century,  formerly  the  bed  of  one 
of  the  forty-three  lakes  which  overspread  the  province  of 
Alkmaar,  and  which  were  subsequently  metamorphosed  into 
fertile  meadows.  Like  all  polders,  the  Beemster  polder, 

74 


ALKMAAR  75 

which  covers  an  area  of  nearly  eighteen  thousand  acres,  is 
managed  by  a  committee  elected  by  the  local  landowners 
and  all  expenses  of  culture  and  drainage  are  met  by  a  tax 
levied  upon  the  local  landowners  proportionately  to  the 
number  of  acres  they  respectively  possess.  It  is  divided  into 
a  great  number  of  squares,  separated  from  each  other  by 
canals  and  brick-paved  streets,  causing  its  general  aspect  to 
resemble  that  of  a  huge  chessboard.  Its  level  being  nearly 
three  and  a  half  metres  below  that  of  Amsterdam,  the  rain 
water  has  incessantly  to  be  drained  off  by  means  of  wind- 
mills, which  pour  it  into  the  canals,  which,  in  their  turn, 
convey  it  to  the  sea.  Altogether  the  polder  contains  about 
three  hundred  farms,  representing  a  total  of  some  six  thou- 
sand head  of  cattle  and  four  hundred  horses.  The  only 
trees  I  saw  there  were  poplars,  elms  and  willows,  planted  in 
clumps  about  the  houses  to  shelter  them  from  the  wind. 
The  place  is  one  vast  meadow,  and  what  applies  to  Beemster 
may  be  said  of  all  other  polders.  The  only  objects  diversify- 
ing those  verdant  plains  are  the  poles,  placed  at  irregular 
intervals,  for  the  storks  to  build  their  nests  upon,  and,  here 
and  there,  the  huge  skeleton  of  a  whale,  ancient  trophies, 
brought  home  by  the  Dutch  fishermen  of  olden  times  and 
set  upright  into  the  ground  for  the  cows  to  rub  against.  The 
produce  of  the  fields  and  dairy  is  conveyed  from  one  farm 
to  another  in  boats;  each  house  is  entered  by  means  of  a 
bridge,  which  is  raised  at  night  like  the  drawbridge  in  a 
fortress;  the  cattle  browse  unwatched,  ducks  and  swans 
freely  paddle  up  and  down  the  long  canals,  an  air  of  security, 
prosperity  and  peace  pervades  the  whole  scene.  These  are 


76  HOLLAND 

the  provinces  where  the  renowned  breed  of  cattle,  to  which 
Holland  is  in  part  indebted  for  her  prosperity,  flourishes  in 
all  its  beauty;  this  is  the  home  of  those  large,  mild-tempered 
cows,  that  yield  as  much  as  twelve  gallons  of  milk  a  day, 
the  descendants  of  the  noble  animals  imported  during  the 
Middle  Ages  into  France,  Belgium,  Germany,  Sweden  and 
Russia.  There  is  a  tradition  that  a  herd  of  these  animals 
was  driven  across  the  continent  as  far  as  Odessa,  thus  re- 
tracing, step  by  step,  the  very  road  by  which  the  mighty 
wave  of  Germanic  invasion  had  penetrated  into  Europe.  A 
delicious  cheese,  of  world-wide  renown,  which  derives  its 
name  from  Edam,  a  town  in  North  Holland,  is  made  from 
the  milk  these  animals  yield.  On  market-days  all  the  towns 
of  this  province  are  literally  filled  to  overflowing  with  fine, 
reddish  cheeses,  piled  up  like  cannon-balls  in  the  squares  and 
streets,  and  pointed  out  to  the  foreigner  by  the  natives  with  a 
feeling  of  legitimate  national  pride. 

Those  who  are  acquainted  with  other  Dutch  towns  must 
not  expect  to  find  anything  very  remarkable  or  novel  in  the 
way  of  sight-seeing  at  Alkmaar.  The  town  is  regular  in 
shape,  traversed  by  broad  canals  and  still  broader  streets, 
lined  with  the  inevitable  red  houses,  surmounted  by  their 
inevitable  peaked  fagades.  Some  spacious  squares  are  paved 
throughout  with  little  yellow  and  reddish  bricks,  arranged 
in  symmetrical  patterns,  which — seen  from  a  distance — look 
exactly  like  a  carpet.  Every  street  has  two  footways;  the 
one  paved  with  brick  for  the  ordinary  passengers,  the  other, 
upon  a  somewhat  higher  level  and  paved  with  flags,  is  re- 
served for  the  inmates  of  the  adjoining  houses.  No  outsider 


ALKMAAR  77 

dare  set  his  foot  upon  this  sacred  ground  under  pain  of  being 
withered  by  an  eagle  glance  darted  at  him  by  some  irate 
householder  watching  his  proceedings  from  the  window. 
Many  houses,  I  cannot  say  why,  perhaps  merely  for  the 
sake  of  some  singular  whim,  are  whitewashed  only  halfway 
up;  some  are  painted  black,  as  if  they  were  in  mourning; 
others  are  covered  with  a  coating  of  varnish,  like  carriages, 
from  roof  to  basement.  The  windows  being  very  low  down, 
the  fine  hyacinths  and  tulips  in  the  embrasures,  the  sitting- 
rooms  flashing  with  mirrors  and  profusely  ornamented  with 
china,  the  family  groups  gathered  round  little  tables  laden 
with  liquor  cases,  glasses  of  beer,  plates  of  biscuits,  packets 
of  cigars,  may  be  taken  in  at  a  glance  from  the  street.  You 
may  walk  about  the  town  for  a  long  time  without  meeting 
a  human  being;  and,  stranger  still,  the  people  you  meet  or 
pass  as  they  are  standing  on  the  doorsteps,  men,  women  and 
children,  all  courteously  salute  you. 

There  are  no  remarkable  monuments  to  be  seen  at  Alk- 
maar,  with  the  exception  of  the  Town  Hall,  built  in  the 
Seventeenth  Century,  partly  Gothic,  partly  no  style  at  all, 
somewhat  resembling,  though  on  a  smaller  scale,  the  Town 
Hall  at  Brussels,  and  the  fine  Church  of  St.  Lawrence, 
belonging  to  the  same  epoch,  containing  the  tomb  of  Count 
Florentius  V.  of  Holland  and  a  model  of  Ruyter's  flagship 
suspended  over  the  choir  in  lieu  of  a  lamp.  Outside  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  city  lies  a  compact  grove,  which  the 
townspeople  use  as  a  public  promenade  and  where,  upon 
high  days  and  holidays,  the  so-called  Hardriverij,  or  trotting 
race-meetings,  are  held,  and  the  eminently  Dutch  prize  of  a 


78  HOLLAND 

silver  coffee-pot  is  conferred  upon  the  winner.  But  notwith- 
standing its  picturesque  grove,  its  Town  Hall,  and  its  11,000 
inhabitants,  Alkmaar  might  be  taken  for  a  large  village; 
and  so  deep  is  the  silence  pervading  its  streets  that  the  music 
of  the  church  bells,  which  here  is  even  wilder  than  in  other 
towns,  rings  out  from  all  quarters  as  at  the  dead  of  night. 


IN  THE  NORTH  HOLLAND  POLDERS 

J.  BALLINGAL 

K^HNESS,  fertility  and  greenness  are  felt  to  be 
inadequate  expressions  when  applied  to  the  polders 
of  North  Holland.  Three  very  large  ones,  all 
within  the  thriving  little  town  of  Purmerend,  are  known  as 
the  Purmer,  Beemster  and  Wormer  polders.  Formerly  lakes 
and  marshes,  these  polders  were  dyked  and  girdled  with  broad 
canals,  into  which  all  the  water  of  the  lakes  was  pumped  by 
powerful  engines,  leaving  a  soil  of  unrivalled  fertility  to  be 
made  the  most  of  by  the  industrious  Boors.  What  was  once 
dismal  swamp  and  glimmering  mere  has  now  all  the  aspect  of 
a  long-settled  and  cultivated  region  studded  with  farm-houses 
and  hamlets.  A  drive  through  the  monotonous  maze  of  per- 
fectly flat  rectangular  fields  fenced  by  broad  water-ditches 
leaves  one  with  a  single  but  emphatic  impression — that  of 
agricultural  prosperity.  The  broad  fields  of  rich  grass,  with 
vast  herds  of  black  and  white  cows;  the  bright,  comfortable 
farm-houses,  which  indeed  are  often  mansions  suggestive  of 
luxury,  and  the  Boors  themselves,  all  seem  to  express  in  every 
feature  that  years  of  plenty  have  been  and  are  not  yet  gone. 
The  name,  Boor,  inevitably  conveys  a  false  impression  to 
English  ears.  The  Dutch  Boor  is  usually,  in  these  polders 
at  least,  the  proprietor  of  his  farm,  and  there  is  no  more 
boorishness  about  him  than  is  to  be  seen  in  the  average  Eng- 

79 


8o  HOLLAND 

lish  or  Scotch  small  farmer,  and  as  regards  intelligence,  he 
is  quite  on  a  level  with  the  latter  and,  in  some  respects,  owing 
to  his  less  insular  position,  superior. 

In  bright  summer  weather  an  exploration  of  the  polders  is 
most  enjoyable.  Having  secured  the  use  of  one  of  the  hooded 
gigs,  much  used  by  the  Boors,  and  a  smart  trotting-horse,  a 
pretty  creature  with  a  beautifully  arched  neck,  we  set  off  at 
a  good  pace.  Always  the  main  roads  were  the  same,  inter- 
minably long  straight  lines  intersecting  at  right  angles,  and 
paved  with  the  detestable  but  useful  "  klinkers "  that  one 
sees  everywhere  in  Holland.  By  the  roadsides  rows  of  care- 
fully trimmed  trees  lent  an  agreeable  shade.  A  visit  to  a  fairly 
large  farm-house  in  the  Beemster  polder  initiated  us  into 
the  audacities  of  purification  and  adornment  achieved  by  the 
country  housewife.  We  were  ushered  straight  into  the  byre, 
one  end  of  which  was  the  farm-kitchen,  where,  round  a  glow- 
ing fire  in  a  dark  chimney  recess,  several  people  were  sitting. 
The  walls  were  lit  up  by  the  sheen  of  many  brass  and  copper 
pans  and  untensils.  The  cows,  being  out  for  the  summer, 
their  stalls  were  decked  in  a  way  they  could  hardly  be  expected 
to  appreciate.  Long  strips  of  dark  blue  carpet  embroidered  in 
yellow,  with  classic  verses  of  exclusively  bucolic  reference, 
were  laid  down  over  the  clean-scrubbed  bricks,  and  the 
troughs  were  ornamented  with  fine  old  Delft  platters  and 
large  foreign  sea-shells.  Needless  to  say,  neither  dust  nor 
cobwebs  marred  the  purity  of  the  whitewashed  walls  or  of 
the  woodwork,  which  was  partly  painted  and  varnished  black, 
and  partly  scoured. 

It  is,  however,  a  more  interesting  time  to  see  the  byre 


NORTH  HOLLAND  POLDERS  81 

when  the  cows  are  in,  and  the  work  concentrated  within 
doors.  Then,  indeed,  one  marvels  at  the  perfect  purity  and 
cleanliness  that  is  rigidly  preserved  at  a  great  expense  of  time 
and  trouble.  The  milking  of  many  cows,  the  feeding  and 
watering  combined,  with  all  the  operations  of  extensive 
cheese-making,  renders  the  byre  and  kitchen,  and  the  barns 
and  other  apartments  that  open  off  them,  a  scene  of  constant 
activity  from  morning  to  night.  The  chief  result  is  visible 
in  great  piles  of  small  cheeses,  shaped  like  large  turnips,  and 
known  as  sweet-milk  Edam  cheeses. 

To  pass  from  the  byre  through  the  kitchen  and  into  the 
parlour  is  an  initiation  into  higher  and  more  sacred  territory. 
We  did  not  wonder  at  the  scowl  of  the  Boor's  wife  as  she 
glanced  at  our  boots  when  we  walked  across  the  shining  floor 
which  she  was  in  the  very  act  of  waxing  and  polishing.  We 
noticed  her  husband  had  left  his  big  wooden  shoes  in  the 
kitchen,  and  now  stepped  warily  along  in  his  stockings.  We 
mounted  a  brightly  polished  stair  to  some  bedrooms,  chiefly 
remarkable  for  a  total  absence  of  any  signs  of  habitation, 
and  the  bed-curtains  were  all  closely  drawn  round  the  beds. 
Descending  to  the  parlour,  where  we  settled  down  with  our 
host  to  smoke  a  cigar  and  drink  a  glass  of  Madeira  hospitably 
proffered,  we  had  time  to  admire  the  fine  carved  cabinets, 
filled  with  old  china,  that  lined  the  walls.  In  answer  to 
some  remark,  our  host  answered  carelessly,  "  Oh — those 
things — they've  been  long  in  the  family."  They  dated,  no 
doubt,  from  the  palmy  days  of  Holland  in  the  Seventeenth 
Century.  Few  of  the  Boors,  however,  have  such  treasures  to 
show.  Their  houses  are  as  often  furnished  in  very  modern 


82  HOLLAND 

style,  though  the  furniture  is  sure  to  be  solid  and  good.  They 
have  the  utmost  contempt  for  anything  sham  and  flimsy.  In 
their  jewellery,  of  which  a  great  deal  is  worn,  they  would 
never  think  of  buying  false  diamonds  or  imitation  coraL 
Their  houses  are  models  of  neatness  and  cleanliness,  but  there 
is  no  trace  of  zsthetic  feeling.  Symmetry  is  admired  above 
everything.  Trees  planted  round  the  house  at  equal  dis- 
tances, trimmed  to  an  exact  height,  and  whitewashed  to  a 
certain  height  of  the  trunk,  windows  and  doors  to  correspond, 
gates  freshly  painted,  and  gravel  walks  without  a  footprint — 
that  is  the  country  ideal.  There  is  a  story  of  a  Boor  who 
fancied  a  piano  would  be  a  handsome  addition  to  his  best 
room,  and  having  bought  one  and  got  it  placed,  he  returned  a 
few  weeks  after  to  the  piano  warehouse.  "  Did  the  instru- 
ment give  satisfaction  ?  "  the  dealer  anxiously  inquired.  "  Oh, 
yes!  yes!  I've  no  complaint  to  make,  for  nobody  has  even 
touched  it.  What  annoys  us  is  we  don't  like  the  look  of  it 
in  the  room.  It  is  not  symmetrisch,  so  I've  come  to 
buy  another,  exactly  the  same,  to  stand  in  the  opposite 
corner." 

Such  a  story  is  credible  enough  when  one  sees  the  exactly 
similar  way  in  which,  through  a  large  district,  houses  are 
built,  and  trees  planted  round  them,  as  if  every  detail  were 
compulsory.  The  love  of  cleanliness,  too,  has  its  extrava- 
gances, as,  for  instance,  in  the  neighbourhood  we  speak  of, 
we  once  enjoyed  the  comic  spectacle  of  a  man  sitting  astride 
on  the  ridge  of  his  house,  with  a  pail  slung  round  his  neck, 
scrubbing  away  at  the  tiles. 

With  our  host  of  the  farm  we  had  a  long,  interesting  con- 


NORTH  HOLLAND  POLDERS  83 

versation  about  Dutch  and  English  agriculture,  and  he  fin- 
ished by  showing  us  a  handsome  greenhouse,  very  well 
stocked,  and  of  which  he  was  pardonably  proud. 

Another  day  we  drove  to  Edam,  speeding,  as  before,  along 
hard  level  roads  and  always  feeling  as  if  we  might  be  still 
in  the  same  spot,  for  the  rich  green  meadows,  framed  in 
shallow  canals,  the  large  black  and  white  cows,  never  varied. 
Towards  evening  the  scene  varied  a  little.  Here  and  there 
small  groups  of  two  or  three  women  might  be  seen  going 
out  to  the  milking.  Sometimes  they  were  rowing  along  the 
canals,  which  take  the  place  of  farm  roads,  their  white  head- 
gear showing  a  flash  of  silver  and  their  glittering  brass  milk- 
cans  making  a  bright  spot  in  the  landscape.  One  wonders 
how  they  manage  to  carry,  as  they  do,  two  of  these  huge  cans 
full  of  milk  long  distances  over  soft  and  often  muddy  ground. 
It  is  certainly  a  proof  of  the  physical  vigour  of  the  North 
Holland  milkmaids.  Their  mothers  before  them  have  done 
the  same  for  generations,  but  perhaps  none  of  them  were  so 
lucky  as  to  pick  up  a  rarity  found  by  some  Edam  milkmaids, 
as  an  old  chronicler  tells  us,  in  1403.  They  had  gone  out  to 
milk  the  cows,  and  found  among  the  lush  grass  a  live  mer- 
maid. This  was  not  so  very  surprising,  as  the  sea  had  just 
before  broken  through  the  dyke  of  the  Purmer  Lake,  so  it 
was  quite  accountable  that  this  marine  creature  should  have 
drifted  in.  She  could  not  speak  Dutch,  but  they  took  her 
home  with  them,  and  afterwards  she  was  moved  to  Haarlem, 
where  she  lived  many  years.  Though  nobody  could  under- 
stand her  speech,  she  learned  to  spin,  and  so  to  provide  for 
herself.  She  \vas  religious,  too,  showing  great  signs  of  rever- 


$4  HOLLAND 


•:-.•:.-  -.;;::.:.-::::••-;  J'.  ?v  Doubt.:  -  :  :  :  :•;:•: 

of  Holland  suited  her. 

As  we  went  on,  the  spires  of  Edam  presently  appeared  in 
the  distance,  and  we  especially  noted  the  beauty  of  the  fine 
:-.:  :•;!  ::-;>;  ::  :  ;  -:'.:::  .::.'.  :":._r:h.  We  ..  r:e  moo  rattling 
over  the  roughly-paved  streets,  and  after  needed  refresh- 
ment strolkd  out  to  look  at  the  town.  We  had  been  told  of 
an  "  idyllic  "  graveyard,  and  found  die  spot,  but  to  English 
eyes  it  could  never  appear  idyllic,  lying  as  it  did  on  the  north 
5!  if  zad  immediately  under  the  shadow  of  the  huge  church, 
ir.i  :r.  :  e  ::hr:  >  ..;e  ::  :.:  :-.  rir.il.  Tr.e  trees  and  shrubs 
were  no  doubt  fine,  but  the  suggestion  of  die  place  was 
entirely  of  the  dark  and  damp  charnel-house.  Within  the 
churdi,  we  found  some  very  old  stained  glass  well  worthy 
of  a.  visit. 

Cheese  is  less  predominate  in  Edam  than  one  would  expect, 
but  its  prosperity  evidently,  in  a  great  measure,  depends  on 
tdbe  trade  of  the  people  of  die  neighbouring  polders.  Away 
to  the  east,  only  a  mfle  or  so,  is  the  Zuyder  Zee  ;  and,  looking 
in  that  direction,  we  saw  that  we  had  quite  got  out  of  the 
region  of  the  polders,  with  their  vivid  green  meadows  and 
-  ~  i  :'•  :  :  .!_.-.. 


LEEUWARDEN  AND  GRONWGEN 

HENRY   HAFARD 

A  THOUGH  Leeuwarden  is  not  a  large  town,  hav- 
ing but  25,000  inhabitants,  it  has  all  the  attrac- 
tions of  a  small  capital.  The  streets  are  well  laid 
out  and  lined  with  pretty  houses,  decorated  with  great  taste, 
the  squares  are  large  and  well  situated.  In  fact,  throughout 
one  feels  a  kind  of  animation  which  indicates  a  life  outside 
the  commercial  portion  of  the  population  led  by  a  rich  and 
elegant  society,  who  reside  there  for  pleasure  and  not  for 
business. 

The  town,  however,  cannot  boast  of  many  monuments. 
Two  old  towers,  one  of  which  leans  so  far  forward  that  it 
looks  as  if  about  to  fall  into  the  street,  the  Chancellerie,  the 
Hotel  de  Ville  or  Town  Hall,  and  the  Jacobins  Church — 
these  are  the  only  buildings  of  interest. 

The  ramparts  which  ran  along  the  basis  of  the  town  of  St. 
Vitus  have  disappeared.  The  central  portion  of  the  town, 
which  over  and  over  again  defended  it  against  troublesome 
and  encroaching  enemies,  is  now  a  pleasant  open  walk.  The 
gates  have  been  destroyed,  and  just  at  die  time  we  visited 
Leeuwarden  the  last  was  being  dragged  down;  and  even 
from  the  wretched  prints  portraying  them  we  may  justly 
be  indignant  when  we  see  such  monuments  or  mementoes 
of  former  towns  destroyed.  Besides  many  of  these  gates 
deserve  a  better  fate,  if  only  to  serve  as  examples  of  the  dit- 

$5 


86  HOLLAND 

ferent  ages  of  architecture.  The  ancient  ramparts  are  not  the 
only  promenade  in  Leeuwarden.  There  is  a  public  garden, 
which  is  not  very  large,  it  is  true,  but  it  is  well  laid  out. 
Formerly  this  garden  belonged  to  the  Princes  of  Orange, 
but  in  1795  the  town  took  possession  of  it,  and  since  then 
all  the  society  and  elite  of  the  place  gather  there  twice  a 
week  to  listen  to  music  and  walk  about. 

Besides  its  public  museums  and  establishments,  the  little 
capital  of  Friesland  has  a  number  of  very  elegant  buildings 
of  various  styles  of  architecture;  some  gabled  with  redans, 
others  supported  by  columns  and  consoles;  others  again 
painted  in  bright  colours  or  in  soft  shades,  harmonising  well 
with  the  old  bricks  and  yellow  stones  of  the  older  houses, 
but  altogether  giving  a  charming  effect  to  the  town,  and 
leaving  one  much  inclined  to  criticise  severely  its  general 
aspect.  Some  of  the  bas-reliefs  which  cover  them  are  really 
very  interesting  both  from  a  professional  and  local  point  of 
view;  as  for  example  in  the  Sint-Jacobstraat,  there  is  one 
house  where  the  sculptured  entablature  represents  a  printer's 
workshop  during  the  early  years  of  the  Seventeenth  Century, 
in  which'  a  very  notable  page  of  history  may  be  read. 

Groningen  is  not  only  a  fine  large  town,  populous,  rich 
and  flourishing,  but  it  is,  moreover,  the  most  ancient  in  the 
country.  The  ancient  chronicles  date  it  as  founded  500 
years  B.  C.,  some  by  a  person  called  Grunus,  who  gave  it 
its  name ;  according  to  others  by  a  German  race,  the  Gruines, 
mentioned  by  Tacitus.  But  neighbouring  towns,  jealous 
of  its  pedigree,  affirm  that  the  name  is  derived  from  the 
Dutch  adjective  " groen"  (green),  and  from  the  substan- 


LEEUWARDEN  AND  GRONIXGEX  87 

tive  "  inigen"  which  in  the  Drenthe  and  Over-Yssel  patois 
means  "  field  "  or  "  meadow,"  and  that  really  she  takes  her 
name  from  the  green  pastures  with  which  she  is  surrounded. 

This,  however,  signifies  but  little,  for  from  whatever 
source  the  name  is  derived,  one  thing  is  certain,  that  in  the 
year  48  of  the  present  era,  Corbulon  found  the  town  thriving 
and  the  position  good,  whereupon  he  endowed  it  with  sundry 
institutes,  and,  better  still,  with  fortifications,  which  were 
more  in  keeping  with  the  age.  A  century  later  its  importance 
was  such  that  the  geographer,  Ptolemy,  thought  it  worth 
mentioning  in  his  works.  In  398,  the  Normans,  finding  it 
easy  of  access,  paid  it  a  visit.  An  old  chronicler,  who  refers 
to  it  as  "  Grins,"  mentioned  it  as  defended  by  a  palisade. 
Cornelius  Kempius  tells  us  that  in  1 100  the  Emperor  Henry 
IV.  pulled  down  the  palisade  and  substituted  a  rampart  of 
bricks  surmounted  by  forts.  In  1570,  the  Spaniards  sur- 
rounded it  with  double  fortifications,  that  of  the  interior  of 
brick,  and  outwardly  with  earthworks.  Finally  the  great 
Coehoorn,  the  Vauban  of  Holland,  turned  it  into  a  fortifica- 
tion of  first  rank. 

Take  a  plan  of  Groningen,  and  you  can  easily  trace  these 
three  last  transformations.  First  is  the  large  circular  street 
which  envelops  the  tower  bearing  the  suggestive  name  of 
Ac  liter  den  Murr  (behind  the  wall).  Then  the  also  cir- 
cular canal,  which  forms  a  second  girdle,  known  successively 
as  the  Loopendee  diep,  Katten  diep,  Zuyder  diep,  Noorder 
and  Zuyder  Haven.  Lastly,  the  actual  fortifications  which 
encircle  the  place  with  a  third  enclosure. 

If  the  military  history  is  easy  to  follow,  the  commercial 


88  HOLLAND 

history  is  equally  so.  It  was  in  1116  that  Groningen  ob- 
tained its  most  important  privileges,  and  in  1220,  with 
Liibeck  and  Bremen,  organised  a  fleet  that  took  part  in  the 
Crusades.  In  i?.2O,  its  sailors  were  in  constant  communica- 
tion with  the  people  on  the  Baltic,  and  besides  signing  a 
treaty  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  Island  of  Gottenburg,  in 
1257  it  contracted  a  commercial  alliance  with  the  King  of 
England.  In  1284,  it  figured  amongst  the  Hanseatic  towns. 
In  1285,  it  signed  a  treaty  of  commerce  with  the  King  of 
Sweden,  and  in  1298,  with  the  Counts  of  Holland.  So  much 
for  the  Thirteenth  Century.  The  Fourteenth  is  none  the 
less  prolific,  and  gives  us  an  insight  into  its  outside  com- 
merce. The  Fifteenth  deals  with  the  formation  of  markets; 
that  for  fish  in  1446;  for  provisions  generally  in  1447;  then 
come  those  for  cattle  and  horses;  and,  finally,  that  for  corn 
— all  of  which  exist  to  the  present  day;  the  latter  being  one 
of  the  most  important  of  the  Low  Countries.  Since  then  its 
agricultural  importance  has  so  far  increased  that  the  neigh- 
bouring provinces  allow  its  cattle  to  pass  through  free  of 
duty;  and,  as  early  as  1469,  twelve  Groningen  farmers  were 
seen  driving  one  thousand  head  of  cattle  to  the  fair  at  Bois- 
le-Duc. 

Amidst  such  agricultural  prosperity  the  manufactures  of 
a  town  could  scarcely  remain  idle.  In  1436,  the  different 
trades  formed  themselves  into  the  "guilds"  (gilden},  so 
influential  in  the  Low  Countries,  first  to  the  number  of 
eighteen,  but  later  on  to  thirty ;  and  these  constituted  a  real 
power,  for  their  individual  numbers  and  resources  are,  to  say 
the  least,  considerable. 


LEEUWARDEX  AND  GRONINGEN  89 

The  situation  of  Groningen  is,  however,  exceptional.  It 
not  only  provisions  the  neighbouring  towns,  where  it  has  no 
rivals,  but  lying  between  two  rivers,  the  Hunse  and  the 
Aa,  it  is  in  communication,  by  the  Damsterdiep  with  "  Eems," 
and  by  the  Reitdiep  with  the  North  Sea;  besides  which  it 
joins  Leeuwarden  and  the  Zuyder  Zee  by  its  canals,  and  by 
means  of  the  "  Winschoterdiep  "  holds  communication  with 
the  German  provinces. 


SHORES  OF  THE  ZUYDER  ZEE:  HOORN 
AND  ENKHUISEN 

K ATM  ERIN  E   S.   AND    G.   S.   MACQUOID 

THE  next  morning  found  us  early  in  Hoorn,  a  jewel 
among  old  towns  for  its  primitive  condition, 
though  owing  to  the  care  with  which  the  houses  are 
washed,  cleaned  and  preserved,  they  look  almost  new,  and  it 
is  at  first  difficult  to  realise  the  age  of  the  place ;  after  a  time, 
however,  as  we  walked  beside  the  rows  of  houses,  with  stepped 
gables  and  sculptured  stonework,  we  seemed  to  have  gone  back 
in  some  mysterious  way  to  the  Seventeenth  Century,  when 
Hoorn  was  full  of  life  and  business,  and  as  we  looked  round 
us  it  was  the  people  in  their  modern  costume  who  seemed  out 
of  character  with  their  houses.  No  town  in  Holland  is  richer 
in  old  domestic  architecture  than  Hoorn  is,  and  though  it  is 
one  of  the  "  Dead  Cities  of  the  Zuyder  Zee,"  it  is  not  in 
many  parts  as  lifeless  as  might  be  expected ;  it  looks  here  and 
there  a  w'ell-to-do  town.  Just  outside  the  railway  station, 
however,  it  looks  very  lonely  and  desolate. 

On  our  way  to  our  hotel  the  only  person  we  saw  was  a 
stumpy  boy  of  an  extraordinary  square  shape,  with  his  hands 
buried  in  the  pockets  of  his  gigantic  breeches ;  he  was  perhaps 
eight  years  old,  and  was  stolidly  puffing  at  a  huge  cigar.  He 
eyed  us  with  intense  curiosity;  he  evidently  thought  we  were 
unknown  animals,  fit  to  be  stuffed  and  put  in  the  museum. 

Our  large  rambling  hotel,  neither  comfortable  nor  mod- 
go 


SHORES    OF    THE    ZUYDER  ZEE     91 

erate  in  tariff,  bore  upon  it  the  date  1616.  We  were,  how- 
ever, tired  by  our  journey,  and  our  first  meal  seemed  excel- 
lent: very  good  tea,  served  in  the  Dutch  manner,  with 
tea-canister,  kettle  and  spirit-lamp,  accompanied  by  delicious 
butter,  rolls,  and  toothsome  Hague  biscuits,  or  rusks. 

After  our  meal  we  went  out  in  search  of  the  harbour  gate, 
the  most  interesting  old  building  in  Hoorn;  we  walked 
around  the  town  beside  the  Zuyder  Zee,  and  inquired  for  the 
Water  Gate. 

The  quaint  and  lofty  old  structure  stands  in  the  middle 
of  the  harbour,  and  is  built  of  red  brick,  softened  and  beau- 
tified by  age ;  it  is  of  strange  and  picturesque  shape,  round  on 
its  sea-face,  but  flat  on  that  side  that  faces  the  town ;  I  never 
saw  a  similar  building  out  of  Holland.  There  are  on  it  two 
dates:  1532  and  1651;  the  last  date  is  that  of  the  finely- 
proportioned  clock  turret  on  the  top  of  the  old  roof.  The 
upper  part  of  the  turret  is  covered  with  lead.  The  best  view 
of  this  strange  old  tower  is  from  a  boat  on  the  Zuyder 
Zee. 

Turning  our  long  gaze  at  the  Water  Gate,  we  came  upon 
a  group  of  rough-looking  Zuyder  Zee  fishermen,  picturesquely 
clad  in  coarse  shirts  and  trousers,  enormous  in  girth,  but 
short  in  length.  One  of  them  wore  a  red  shirt,  dark  trousers, 
and  bright  blue  stockings;  he  was  squatting  on  the  quay, 
carefully  picking  seaweed  from  a  fishing-net;  another  man 
was  mending  his  net 

We  presently  saw  another  quaint  old  gate,  called  the  Oster- 
port,  or  East  Gate.  It  is  in  two  stories.  The  lower  part, 
built  in  1511,  bears  the  Latin  inscription: 


92  HOLLAND 

"  Nil  prosunt  vigilum  excubia,  nihil  anna  minaeque 
Murorum  ingentes,  raucaeve  tonitura  canae  1578, 
Ni  deus  hancce  veils  regere  ac  tutarier  urbem." 

This  Osterport  stands  on  the  ramparts,  and  the  road 
through  it  leads  into  the  country  along  by  the  banks  of  the 
Zuyder  Zee.  The  tree-lined  ramparts  extend  all  round 
Hoorn,  and  form  a  delightfully  shaded  walk  when  the  sun  is 
hot. 

One  of  us  walked  out  into  the  country  by  way  of  the 
Osterport.  The  afternoon  was  dull,  with  a  cool,  refreshing 
breeze  from  the  inland  sea.  It  was  interesting  to  watch  the 
peaceful  country-life  of  the  North  Holland  folk.  Men  were 
mowing,  with  slow  rhythmic  movement,  the  tall  grass  that 
bordered  the  road ;  meditative  old  peasants  in  blouses,  pipe  in 
mouth,  walked  leisurely  beside  their  donkey-carts;  a  man  and 
his  little  fair-haired,  blue-eyed  daughter,  in  a  small  cart, 
drawn  by  three  large  dogs,  passed  by  at  full  trot — though 
the  peace  of  the  scene  was  disturbed  when  the  man  brutally 
beat  the  dogs  to  make  them  go  faster  still.  Fishing-boats 
with  brown  sails  studded  the  pearly  surface  of  the  Zuyder 
Zee;  seagulls,  uttering  their  strange,  mournful  cries,  flew 
lazily  overhead  with  large,  slowly-flapping  wings,  or  wheeled 
round  on  outspread  pinions,  or  sometimes  lighted  down  on 
the  dancing  wavelets;  swallows  skimmed  noiselessly  along, 
with  low  twitterings. 

Most  of  the  country-people  come  into  town  through  the 
Osterport  on  their  way  to  the  weekly  cheese-market.  There 
is  a  great  traffic  in  cheeses  at  Hoorn. 


SHORES    OF    THE    ZUYDER  ZEE     93 

We  saw  them  being  stored  in  the  warehouses  by  hundreds, 
looking  like  red  and  yellow  cannon-balls.  A  man  stood  in  a 
cart  full  of  cheeses  and  threw  them  two  at  a  time  to  a  man 
below ;  he  in  turn  threw  them  to  a  third  man  at  the  entrance 
of  the  warehouse,  and  this  one  flung  them  to  a  fourth  inside 
the  warehouse  itself,  and  he  piled  them  therein,  in  regular 
order.  We  afterwards  saw  the  cheeses  rolled  down  wooden 
troughs  to  the  boats  in  the  canal  below  ready  for  expor- 
tation. 

The  Weighing-House  is  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  is 
a  handsome  Seventeenth  Century  building  of  grey  stone,  with 
a  tall  roof  and  dormer  windows.  The  cheeses  are  weighed 
here  directly  the  bargains  are  struck  between  the  buyers  and 
sellers  at  the  weekly  market. 

Hoorn  is  second  only  to  Alkmaar  among  North  Holland 
towns  for  the  extent  of  its  dealings  in  cheeses.  A  large  trade 
in  butter  is  also  carried  on  at  Hoorn. 

We  went  from  the  Weighing-House  to  see  the  College  of 
the  States,  a  stone  building  more  than  two  centuries  old.  It 
is  decorated  with  coloured  shields,  and  among  these  is  an 
English  shield,  supported  by  figures  of  armed  men  said  to  be 
negroes.  The  story  of  this  shield  took  us  back  to  the  middle 
of  the  Seventeenth  Century,  the  time  of  the  naval  war 
between  the  States  of  Holland  and  the  English  Common- 
wealth. 

On  the  3Oth  of  November,  1652,  the  English  fleet  under 
Blake  met  near  the  Goodwins  a  larger  number  of  Dutch 
vessels  of  war,  commanded  by  Van  Tromp  and  De  Ruyter. 
A  stubborn  fight  took  place,  and  the  English  were  worsted; 


94  HOLLAND 

but  nightfall  put  an  end  to  the  battle  and  saved  their  fleet 
from  destruction.  Blake  was  wounded,  two  English  ships 
were  taken  and  three  more  were  sunk  or  burned.  Blake 
retreated  to  the  Thames;  and  Van  Tromp,  in  his  pride  of 
victory,  fa?tened  a  broom  to  the  top-mast  of  his  vessel,  as  a 
sign  either  that  he  had  swept  the  sea  clear  of  his  enemies  or 
that  he  intended  to  do  so.  Some  of  Van  Tromp's  ships  had 
been  provided  by  the  town  of  Hoorn,  and  on  one  of  these 
were  two  negroes  who  showed  singular  daring  during  the 
pursuit  of  the  enemy,  and  managed  to  capture  a  shield  from 
one  of  the  retreating  English  ships ;  hence  the  tradition  repre- 
sented by  the  shield  on  the  Court  House. 

In  a  street  near  the  College  of  the  States  stands  the  St. 
Jans  Gasthaus,  bearing  the  date  1663.  It  is  a  very  fine  old 
building  in  red  brick  and  white  stone,  ornamented  with  a 
good  deal  of  sculpture.  It  is  now  used  for  barracks,  and 
when  we  passed  it  we  saw  soldiers  at  more  than  one  of  the 
quaint  windows. 

The  Church  of  St.  Antonis,  near  the  Post  Office,  was  begun 
in  1493,  and  added  to  in  the  Seventeenth  Century.  It  has 
a  charming  belfry  and  handsome  windows  in  the  west  gable. 

In  o'ld  days  Hoorn  was  one  of  the  most  famous  of  Dutch 
towns;  even  in  the  Fourteenth  Century  its  inhabitants  num- 
bered twenty-five  thousand.  Two  centuries  later  Hoorn 
was  an  active  agent  in  crippling  the  power  of  Spain,  which 
had  at  that  time  the  most  formidable  navy  in  the  world.  On 
the  1 2th  October,  1573,  a  Dutch  fleet  sent  out  solely  by 
the  towns  of  Hoorn  and  Enkhuisen  defeated  the  Spanish 
ships  and  took  the  Count  of  Bossu  prisoner.  Count  Bossu's 


SHORES    OF    THE    ZUYDER  ZEE     95 

flagship,  The  Inquisition,  and  two  of  the  Hoorn  ships  lashed 
themselves  together,  and  fought  hand-to-hand  for  nearly  the 
whole  day.  While  this  fight  went  on,  one  John  Haring 
climbed  into  Bossu's  ship  and  hauled  down  his  flag.  John 
Haring  was  shot,  and  fell  dead  on  the  enemy's  deck,  but  his 
sword  was  kept  at  Enkhuisen.  Not  far  from  our  hotel  there 
are  still  standing  three  houses,  and  tradition  says  that  from 
the  windows  of  these  houses  the  citizens  of  Hoorn  watched 
the  fight.  There  is  a  series  of  bas-reliefs  outside  the  houses, 
illustrating  the  various  scenes  of  the  battle. 

The  Count  was  a  prisoner  at  Hoorn  for  three  years.  In 
the  Guildhall  is  his  silver-gilt  drinking-cup,  with  this  in- 
scription : 

" Rien  ou  contes 
Jemi-atens" 

The  people  of  Hoorn  were  always  sturdy  and  independent ; 
it  is  said  they  were  among  the  first  in  Holland  to  embrace  the 
doctrines  of  Calvin. 

The  city  arms  consist  of  a  hunting-horn,  and  this  device 
is  to  be  seen  on  every  cart  and  carriage. 

There  are  some  pictures  in  the  Town  Hall — a  portrait  of 
De  Ruyter  by  Ferdinand  Bol,  much  injured  by  cleaning,  and 
some  remarkable  examples  of  Rotuis,  or  Jan  Albertz 
Roodtsens. 

But  Hoorn  has  greatly  declined  from  its  former  power  and 
importance.  It  had  once  ten  churches,  now  there  are  only 
two;  its  inhabitants  have  dwindled  down  to  about  eleven 
thousand. 


96  HOLLAND 

Enkhuisen  is  about  twelve  miles  from  Hoorn.  The  road 
took  us  through  a  very  fertile  part  of  the  country;  all  vege- 
table life  seemed  to  be  abundant  and  luxuriant,  and  I  espe- 
cially noted  the  houses  of  the  peasant  farmers,  some  painted 
bright  blue,  others  green,  with  their  surrounding  gardens 
bordered  by  canals  with  little  bridges  across  to  connect  them 
with  the  road.  Enkhuisen  is  on  the  Zuyder  Zee,  and  is  the 
extreme  eastern  point  of  North  Holland. 

Facing  the  harbour  is  a  grand  old  water-gate,  with  a 
tower  dated  1540.  It  has  a  remarkable  sculptured  doorway; 
and  the  building,  dark  red  brick  with  white  stone  ornamenta- 
tion, at  once  impressed  one  with  the  former  importance  of 
the  town.  There  is  a  musical  carillon  in  the  tower,  which 
plays  at  the  hours  and  quarters.  Close  by,  a  picturesque 
group  of  old  houses  hangs  over  the  edge  of  a  canal.  The 
town  is  surrounded  by  a  canal  overlooked  by  tree-shaded 
ramparts. 

Enkhuisen  is,  perhaps,  the  deadest  of  the  once  powerful 
"  Dead  Cities  "  of  the  Zuyder  Zee ;  for  Stavoren  has  alto- 
gether disappeared  and  can  no  longer  be  counted  among  them. 
Once  the  most  important  town  in  Holland,  with  sixty  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  extended  commerce,  and  a  fleet  of  a  thou- 
sand ships,  Enkhuisen  has  shrunk  away,  until  at  the  present 
time  its  population  is  only  five  thousand  and  its  commerce 
is  practically  nil.  The  city  was  founded  about  the  year  1000 
A.  D.  Its  name  is  derived  from  the  Dutch  words  enkele 
huizen,  a  few  houses. 

It  actually  pained  one  to  walk  about  its  almost  deserted 
streets  full  of  fine  houses.  Enkhuisen  must,  however,  be  to 


SHORES    OF    THE    ZUYDER  ZEE     97 

the  artist  one  of  the  most  interesting  cities  in  Holland,  there 
is  so  much  on  which  he  can  employ  his  brush  and  pencil.  It 
was  the  birthplace  of  the  famous  painter,  Paul  Potter.  It 
literally  teems  with  richly-coloured  old  houses  of  fantastic 
shapes  and  out-of-the-way  positions,  grouped  with  trees, 
canals,  and,  here  and  there,  some  shipping. 

At  last  I  came  upon  one  street  which  seemed  like  an  oasis 
in  the  desert  of  dulness;  but  as  I  walked  through  it  I  dis- 
covered that  the  life  in  it  was  chiefly  caused  by  groups  of 
fishermen  gossipping  together  while  they  cleaned  and  mended 
their  nets.  Enkhuisen  has  always  been  noted  for  its  her- 
ring fishery,  and  this  still  gives  employment  to  many  of  its 
people. 

Many  of  the  brick  houses  are  ornamented  with  sculptured 
stone,  but  the  portal  of  the  Orphan  Asylum  is  particularly 
rich  in  bas-reliefs  and  statues  carved  in  coloured  stone.  The 
principal  church,  the  Wester  Kerk,  or  West  Church,  is  a 
striking  building,  either  when  seen  from  land  or  from  the 
Zuyder  Zee.  It  has  a  fine  square  tower,  crumbling  with  age, 
of  warm-coloured  red  brick,  surmounted  by  an  elegant  tou- 
relle  and  a  bulbous  spire ;  the  tower  has  a  good  set  of  chimes, 
and  a  fine  striking  bell.  In  the  interior  the  carved  oak  screen 
dates  from  1542  and  the  oak  pulpit  from  1568. 

There  is  near  this  church  a  pretty  little  public  garden  full 
of  flowers.  A  fine  aloe  was  in  grand  blossom;  and  beds  of 
cherry  pie,  geraniums  and  begonias  made  a  mass  of  rich  and 
varied  colour. 

As  I  went  on  I  saw  groups  of  women  in  full  gossip  at  the 
doors  of  the  smaller  houses,  their  children  near  them  at  play. 


98  HOLLAND 

But  most  of  the  inhabitants  seemed  only  half  awake,  though 
I  daresay  they  would  have  been  completely  wide-awake  on 
the  subject  of  money ;  it  is  no  easy  thing  to  catch  a  Dutchman 
napping  over  the  value  of  the  guilder,  though  maybe  the  lines : 

"  In  matters  of  commerce,  the  fault  of  the  Dutch 
Is  giving  too  little  and  asking  too  much," 

are  too  sweeping  a  condemnation  of  the  friendly  Nether- 
lander. 

Nowadays  all  enterprise  and  spirit  seem  to  have  deserted 
the  good  folk  of  Enkhuisen,  and  for  more  than  a  hundred 
years  the  town  has  been  but  the  shadow  of  its  former  self.  It 
is  said  that  owing  to  the  moving  sandbanks  in  the  Zuyder 
Zee  the  once  famous  harbour  became  narrower  and  dan- 
gerous, and  consequently  the  commerce  of  the  city  de- 
clined. 

In  wandering  about  the  out-of-the-way  towns  in  Holland 
one  is  continually  reminded  of  their  unchanged  condition, 
their  general  aspect  and  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
people  seem  so  little  altered  since  the  time  of  the  famous 
Dutch  painters  of  the  Seventeenth  Century. 

The  buildings  and  the  street  scenes  look  just  as  they  were 
represented  in  the  masters'  pictures.  Strolling  along  the 
quiet  streets  of  Enkhuisen,  I  passed  just  such  a  butcher's  shop 
as  Pi'eter  de  Hooch  loved  to  paint.  A  meditative  butcher 
sat  in  the  middle  of  his  shop,  looking  earnestly  at  a  huge  leg 
of  beef  hung  up  near  him;  various  other  joints  were  taste- 
fully displayed  among  flowers  and  plants;  while  through  an 
open  doorway  at  the  back  of  the  shop  came  a  vision  of  a  cool 


HARBOIR  TOWER   (WATER  GATE)   HOORN. 


SHORES    OF    THE    ZUYDER  ZEE     99 

green  garden;  on  an  adjoining  wall  a  large  white  cat  lay 
curled  up  fast  asleep.  The  light  and  shade  of  the  scene  were 
perfect. 

Before  the  Revolt  of  the  Netherlands,  in  the  Sixteenth 
Century,  the  Emperor  Charles  the  Fifth  and  his  son  Philip 
the  Second  of  Spain  appear  to  have  manned  their  ships  chiefly 
with  sailors  from  Enkhuisen.  Later  on,  when  the  revolt 
against  the  Spanish  supremacy  was  declared,  Enkhuisen  was 
the  first  town  in  Holland  to  open  her  gates  to  the  heroic 
martyr  to  patriotism,  William  the  Taciturn,  Prince  of 
Orange.  Alas  for  departed  greatness!  Though  on  all  sides 
relics  of  former  splendour  are  plainly  visible,  Enkhuisen 
exhibits  a  melancholy  spectacle. 

Close  the  eyes,  and  fancy  sees  the  city  once  again  affluent 
and  powerful.  Crowds  of  people  throng  its  handsome  streets ; 
wealthy  burghers  and  richly-dressed  cavaliers,  with  plumed 
hats  and  rapiers  by  their  sides,  strut  along  in  pride  of  life 
and  place ;  ladies  in  stiff  silks  and  satins  rustle  by ;  once  again 
sound  the  notes  of  joy  and  revelry,  of  busy  commerce  and  full 
prosperity.  A  voice  seems  to  cry:  "  Enkhuisen  the  proud, 
the  powerful,  the  beauteous  Queen  of  the  pearly  Zuyder 
Zee!  Full  of  brave  soldiers  and  of  sailors  to  whom  fear  or 
,  defeat  is  unknown,  how  can  possible  harm  come  near  such  a 
city?" 

What  is  the  picture  it  offers  now?  The  streets  are  well- 
nigh  empty,  the  flood  of  busy,  eager  life  has  ebbed  away,  and 
the  once  prosperous  and  stately  seaport  is  almost  a  city  of 
the  dead. 

We  had  a  fine  bright  day  for  our  steam  trip  across  the 


ioo  HOLLAND 

Zuydcr  Zee  from  Enkhuisen  to  Stavoren,  and  we  found  it 
most  enjoyable.  The  passage  took  about  an  hour  and  a 
quarter;  the  neat  little  steamers  carry  the  mail  to  Friesland. 
Our  captain  was  trim  and  smart-looking,  and  he  pointed  out 
to  us  various  points  of  interest  along  the  coast.  In  the  early 
morning  the  sky  had  been  dull,  but  as  we  crossed  the  dancing 
water  of  the  Zuyder  Zee  the  sun  came  out  bright  and  strong, 
and  the  sky  cleared  to  that  exquisite  tint  of  greyish  blue  so 
prevalent  in  Holland,  especially  in  the  region  of  the  Zuyder 
Zee.  We  were  greatly  interested  by  our  fellow-passengers. 
Many  of  the  women  wore  golden  helmets,  wyith  Brussels 
lace  lappets  falling  from  a  cap  below  the  helmet;  atop  of  all 
was  a  gay  bonnet  trimmed  with  artificial  flowers,  while  near 
each  eye  projected  a  golden  jewelled  ornament.  The  men 
seemed  very  busy  with  their  luggage;  some  of  this  consisted 
of  round  blue  bandboxes,  wTith  white  edges;  the  boxes  were 
fastened  up  with  grey  list.  Soon  we  came  in  sight  of  Stavo- 
ren, the  ancient  capital  city  of  the  Frisians,  and  the  oldest 
city  of  the  Netherlands.  Tradition  says  that  in  the  Fourth 
Century  B.  c.,  Frisio  and  his  two  brothers  fled  from  an  insur- 
rection in  the  blessed  Frisia  in  the  East  Indies.  After  many 
adventures,  the  three  brothers  landed  on  this  spot,  and  built 
a  temple  to  Thor — in  their  language,  the  god  Stavo;  very- 
soon  a  town  sprang  up  round  the  temple,  and  was  called 
Stavoren.  This  seaport  reached  the  height  of  its  prosperity 
in  the  Thirteenth  Century,  and  was  famous  all  over  Europe ; 
but  for  a  woman's  folly  it  might,  perhaps,  still  exist.  As 
we  approached  nearer  we  looked  out  for  the  famous  Vrou- 
wensand,  the  sandbank  which  proved  the  ruin  of  the  once 


SHORES    OF    THE    ZUYDER  ZEE    101 

powerful  city;  the  legend  of  its  origin  is  well  known,  but  it 
may,  perhaps,  be  told  once  more. 

In  the  Fourteenth  Century  there  lived  in  the  flourishing 
city  of  Stavoren  a  very  haughty  and  wealthy  widow.  Her 
husband  had  been  a  merchant  and  owned  many  trading- 
vessels,  and  the  widow  resolved  to  augment  her  riches  by 
increased  enterprise.  Soon  after  her  husband's  death  she 
sent  for  one  of  her  ship-captains  and  bade  him  sail  a  vessel 
laden  with  merchandise  to  Dantzig;  in  exchange  for  the 
cargo,  she  commanded  him  to  bring  her  back  the  most  valu- 
able treasures  he  could  find ;  or,  as  she  expressed  it,  "  the  most 
precious  thing  in  the  world." 

Now,  there  had  been  that  year  throughout  Frisia  a  scarcity 
of  wheat,  and  when  the  captain  found  on  reaching  Dantzig 
that  corn  was  good  and  plentiful  there,  he  determined  to  give 
his  haughty  mistress  a  lesson,  while  he  did  his  country  a 
service;  he  therefore  loaded  his  vessel  with  the  finest  wheat 
he  could  purchase,  and  set  sail  for  Stavoren.  He  had  a 
stormy  voyage,  and  the  vessel  was  long  overdue,  when  at  last, 
on  a  warm  June  evening,  she  reached  the  harbour  and  lay  at 
anchor  there.  The  widow  was  duly  informed  of  the  ship's 
arrival,  and  in  her  impatience  to  see  the  treasure  her  captain 
had  brought,  early  on  the  following  morning  she  went  on 
board.  She  was  a  very  handsome  woman,  both  tall  and 
strong;  the  sailors  stared  at  her  in  admiring  awe  as  she 
walked  with  stately  steps  to  meet  the  captain. 

"Where  is  my  treasure?"  she  said,  "the  precious  thing 
you  have  brought  in  exchange  for  the  cargo?  " 

"  You  see  there  a  sample  of  it,  Mijn  Vrouw."    The  cap- 


102  HOLLAND 

tain  pointed  to  a  sack  of  grain  loosely  tied  at  the  mouth  that 
lay  on  deck.  The  Vrouw  hurried  to  the  sack,  opened  it, 
and  saw  that  it  was  full  of  corn. 

Her  eyes  flashed  as  she  imperiously  turned  to  the  captain. 

"  What  means  this?    Here  is  only  corn." 

The  captain  bent  his  head. 

"  There  is  naught  else,  Mijn  Vrouw ;  the  entire  cargo  is 
as  that  sample.  It  seemed  to  me  that  I  could  not  bring  back 
a  more  valuable  treasure." 

"  Fool !  "  she  stamped  on  the  deck,  in  her  fury.  "  Do  you 
take  me  for  such  an  idiot  as  you  are  ?  I  say,  to  eternity  with 
your  corn !  " 

She  seized  the  sack  in  her  strong  arms  and  hurled  it  over 
the  side  of  the  ship  into  the  sea.  Then  she  turned  to  the 
captain  in  fierce  anger. 

"  I  am  not  to  be  trifled  with ;  I  will  teach  you  how  to  dis- 
pute my  will,"  she  said.  "  I  command  you  on  the  instant  to 
fling  every  sack  of  this  miserable  corn  into  the  sea,  or  you 
shall  be  dismissed  from  my  service." 

She  left  the  ship  in  furious  anger,  and  the  captain,  who 
knew  her  power,  sorrowfully  obeyed  her  order. 

The  corn  took  root  under  water.  It  grew  and  flourished ; 
it  drew  to  itself  the  masses  of  loose  floating  sand,  till  before 
long  an  enormous  bank,  consolidated  by  the  roots  of  the 
corn,  had  risen  in  front  of  the  great  harbour  of  Stavoren. 
This  sandbank  resisted  every  effort  to  remove  it.  It  choked 
up  all  attempts  at  navigation;  the  commerce  of  the  city  de- 
clined, its  wealth  decreased,  its  splendid  buildings,  with  their 
bolts  and  locks  and  hinges  of  pure  gold,  fell  into  ruins.  At 


SHORES    OF    THE   ZUYDER  ZEE  103 

last  the  town  entirely  disappeared,  and  became  a  mere  his- 
tory. In  its  place  there  is  now  a  small  village ;  a  few  houses 
are  all  that  mark  the  site  of  the  magnificent  and  ancient 
capital  of  Friesland.  If  Enkhuisen  is  dead,  Stavoren  is  abso- 
lutely buried. 


ZWOLLE— DEVENTER— LOO— ZUTPHEN 
ARNHEM-NYMEGEN 

HENRY  HAZARD 

THERE   are   two  ways  of   reaching   Zwolle   from 
Kampen,  both  equally  pleasant:  the  one  by  rail, 
through    most    magnificent    meadows,    which    re- 
mind   one    of    lovely    spots    in    Normandy;    the    other   by 
steamer  up  the  Yssel,  with  beautiful  and  charming  scenery 
both  to  the  right  and  left. 

The  history  of  Zwolle  is  very  similar  to  that  of  Kampen, 
dating  perhaps  a  little  farther  back;  in  fact,  we  hear  of  the 
town  possessing  a  church  endowed  with  benefices  as  early 
as  the  year  1040,  when  Bernulfe,  twentieth  Bishop  of 
Utrecht,  ordered  this  church  to  be  put  under  the  administra- 
tion of  the  chapter  of  Deventer.  In  1495,  Zwolle,  like 
her  neighbours  Kampen  and  Deventer,  became  an  imperial 
town,  increasing  proportionately  in  wealth  and  prosperity. 
Placed  between  two  rivers,  commanding  the  country  around, 
and  protected  by  a  double  band  of  walls  and  towers  her 
natural  position  rendered  Zwolle  a  place  of  high  importance 
in  the  commercial  world.  In  1810,  when  Holland  was 
annexed  to  the  French  empire,  Zwolle  became  the  chief 
town  of  the  Bouches  de  1'Yssel.  It  is  now  the  capital  of 
the  province  of  Over- Yssel,  has  20,000  inhabitants,  and  in 
addition  to  its  beautiful  promenades,  possesses  large  streets, 

104 


ZWOLLE  105 

and  pretty  squares,  which  give  it — pardon  the  expression — 
a  very  saucy  look. 

One  would  scarcely  imagine  in  looking  at  all  these  charm- 
ing streets,  clean,  coquettish,  and  prettily  arranged  houses, 
and  grand  shops  abundantly  provided,  that  the  existence  of 
this  charming  city  had  four  or  five  times  been  in  danger 
of  destruction  from  war,  flood  and  fire.  Laid  waste  by 
fire,  Zwolle  was  not  spared  by  water.  On  the  ist  of 
November,  1571,  1 4th  February,  1651,  2ist  November, 
!775>  m  January,  1794,  in  1799  and  in  1825,  the  town 
was  inundated  to  such  an  extent  that  the  streets  were 
flooded  and  the  inhabitants  were  forced  to  go  about  in 
boats.  Perhaps  the  last  was  the  most  severe  of  these  disas- 
trous inundations;  but  fortunately  the  damage  was  not 
beyond  the  power  of  the  rich  townspeople  to  rectify,  and 
in  a  few  months  the  wounds  the  Yssel  had  caused  were 
healed  over. 

Added  to  these  calamities  of  fire  and  water,  the  pretty 
town  of  Zwolle  fell  a  victim  to  pestilential  diseases,  which 
ravaged  the  population  to  a  fearful  extent.  Perhaps  there 
is  no  town  in  Holland  which  has  suffered  so  considerably 
from  epidemics  of  all  kinds  as  Zwolle. 

In  spite  of  its  charming  aspect,  pretty  streets,  and  hand- 
some shops,  even  of  the  Buiten-Singel,  with  its  lawns,  cot- 
tages and  fine  trees,  and  the  animated  busy  Diezerstraat, 
Zwolle  has  not  so  many  attractions  for  the  artist  and  tourist 
as  Kampen.  Its  Palace  of  Justice  is  new,  and  its  Town 
Hall,  from  an  archasological  point  of  view,  is  entirely  de- 
void of  interest.  The  churches  and  a  few  rare  old  houses 


io6  HOLLAND 

are  the  principal  remarkable  monuments,  besides  a  grand 
old  gate  with  its  fine  pointed  spires. 

This  gate  is  called  " Sassenpoort"  and  is  the  only  one 
remaining  of  the  nine  entrances  to  the  town,  its  massive 
form  rising  above  the  houses  which  surround  it,  which  take 
the  place  of  the  ancient  city  walls  with  an  air  of  proud 
superiority.  The  beauty  of  this  gate  makes  one  very  much 
regret  the  destruction  of  the  others,  which  happened  in 
1674,  at  the  command  of  the  vanquishing  enemy.  The  only 
two  churches  in  Zwolle  which  are  interesting  from  an 
archaeological  point  of  view  are  Notre  Dame  and  St.  Michel, 
of  which  the  latter  is  certainly  the  most  important  and 
the  most  beautiful. 

The  country  around  Zwolle  is  very  magnificent,  being 
hilly  and  diversified,  and  much  more  picturesque  than  the 
flat  scenery  of  Holland  and  Friesland,  and  the  immediate 
environs  of  the  town  offer  the  inhabitants  many  charming 
spots  for  excursions  and  pleasure  trips. 

There  is  one  lovely  promenade  through  an  avenue  of 
trees  a  hundred  years  old,  to  a  place  called  Katerveer,  where 
on  Sundays  the  inhabitants  flock  in  crowds  to  enjoy  the 
beauty  of  the  landscape  and  the  exquisite  charm  of  the 
long  walk.  From  Katerveer  one  can  see  the  Yssel  wind- 
ing its  silvered  waters  through  green  meadows  and  wooded 
hills  like  an  enormous  serpent  unfolding  its  coils  on  a  green 
velvet  carpet.  Nothing  can  be  more  charming  than  this 
beautiful  country,  and  the  pleasant  impression  it  produces 
at  first  sight  is  greatly  enhanced  by  suddenly  coming  upon 
it  as  we  did,  after  looking  for  months  on  a  monotonous 


DEVENTER  107 

country  full  of  flat  plains,  where  the  only  thing  that  forms 
a  line  against  the  horizon  is  a  sheep  grazing  or  a  cow  chew- 
ing the  cud. 

The  route  we  chose  to  reach  the  episcopal  city,  which 
played  such  an  important  part  in  the  history  of  Guelderland, 
was  by  the  Yssel.  The  Yssel  is  a  fine  broad  river,  bordered 
on  either  side  by  rich  country,  fertile  meadows  and  power- 
ful villages.  Every  moment  we  caught  sight  of  pointed 
steeples  surrounded  by  bright-looking  houses,  farms  and 
cottages. 

First  came  Hattum  with  its  strange  look  of  antiquity, 
then  Wijhe,  Veessen,  and  Olst,  were  reflected  in  the  river, 
after  which  came  the  groves  around  Diepenveen,  Nijbroek 
and  Terwolde,  skirting  the  sides  of  the  river  like  long 
avenues.  At  last  the  steeples  of  Deventer  appeared  on 
the  horizon,  grand  and  firm  in  their  position  like  lords 
governing  their  domains,  or  mitred  bishops  keeping  watch 
over  their  diocese. 

The  steeples  can  be  seen  from  a  long  distance,  and  their 
imposing  appearance  gives  one  a  favourable  impression  of 
the  valiant  city,  which  is  not  diminished  as  we  draw  nearer 
the  town.  Indeed  the  approach  to  Deventer  has  the  effect 
of  a  magnificent  panorama.  The  quay,  still  bordered  by 
its  old  walls,  shaded  here  and  there,  and  commanded  by  a 
mass  of  pointed  gabled  roofs,  high  towers  and  numerous 
steeples  and  belfries,  forms  on  the  whole  the  most  attractive 
entrance  to  a  town  one  could  wish  to  see.  On  the  other 
side,  superb  plantations  and  grand  trees  with  enormous  out- 
spreading branches  and  heads  so  tall  they  seem  to  vie  in 


io8  HOLLAND 

height  with  the  opposite  steeples,  greet  the  eye  the  instant 
one  turns  one's  head  from  looking  at  the  town.  The  banks 
of  the  river  are  joined  by  a  bridge  of  boats,  the  simplicity 
of  which  seems  slightly  out  of  place  in  connection  with 
the  noble  appearance  of  its  surroundings.  Formerly  there 
existed  here  a  very  handsome  wooden  bridge,  the  erection 
of  which  had  cost  no  less  than  16,000  florins  of  gold  (Rijn- 
sche  goudgulden),  but  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1521  and 
1578,  carried  away  by  ice  in  1570,  and  finally  cut  down 
in  1592,  in  which  year  it  was  replaced  by  the  bridge  of 
boats,  which  still  exists,  although  in  constant  need  of  repair 
and  restoration.  At  the  head  of  this  bridge  there  are  still 
to  be  seen  the  ruins  of  the  old  walls,  the  glorious  remains 
of  the  first  fortifications  of  Deventer.  It  was  the  same 
enormous  brick  wall  which  resisted  the  assault  of  the 
Burgundians,  in  1457. 

Deventer  is  indebted  to  Bernulfe,  Bishop  of  Utrecht, 
for  its  Cathedral.  It  was  after  having  obtained  from  the 
Emperor  Henry  III.  a  spiritual  and  temporal  power  over 
the  town  and  its  environs,  that  this  prelate  organised  a 
council  of  canons,  invited  twenty  prebendaries  from  the 
church  of  St.  Saviour  of  Utrecht  to  the  town,  and  then  had 
the  first  church  dedicated  to  St.  Lievin,  constructed  in 
1046.  However  this  building  did  not  last  long.  In  1235, 
it  was  rebuilt,  and  again  in  1334,  it  was  found  necessary 
to  reconstruct  it,  in  consequence  of  a  fire  which  took  place 
that  year.  It  is  this  church,  erected  in  1334,  that  we  visited, 
and  which  remains  in  existence  to  this  day — which  in  spite 
of  the  alterations  and  enlargements  it  has  undergone  at 


DEVEXTER  109 

various  periods,  is  still  one  of  the  finest  churches  in  the 
Low  Countries. 

The  Town  Hall  is  built  on  the  site  where  the  cemetery 
was  formerly,  close  to  the  large  church.  The  place  is  still 
called  the  Kerkhof.  The  building  dates  from  1693.  To 
mention  its  date  is  to  mention  its  style,  though  the  Dutch 
architects  rarely  succeeded  in  their  Greek  or  Latin  remi- 
niscences. The  large  vestibule  is  decorated  in  the  best 
styles  of  the  Louis  XIV.  period.  The  simple  white  walls 
bring  out  in  strong  relief  the  grand  carved  frame-work  of 
the  doors,  and  form  a  sharp  contrast  to  the  bright  vivid 
tints  of  the  armorial  shields  of  the  old  guilds. 

Close  to  the  Town  Hall  and  built  on  the  same  site  of 
the  old  Kerkhof  is  a  handsome  edifice  used  as  a  post-office. 
The  fagade  is  of  brick  and  stone.  It  has  five  stories,  the 
two  highest  of  which,  including  the  gable,  have  no  openings, 
and  are  surmounted  by  a  figure  of  a  warrior,  carrying  on 
his  shield  the  arms  of  the  town,  said  to  be  the  statue  of 
Charles  V. 

The  Weigh  House  dates  from  1528,  although  it  has 
triangular  windows,  towers  and  turrets;  in  fact,  all  the 
attractions  of  the  Gothic  style.  It  was  erected  close  to 
the  shady  place  called  the  Brink,  and  is  altogether  a  very 
charming  building.  It  has  been  several  times  restored — in 
1620,  1755,  and  1873 — but  never  disfigured.  It  was  com- 
pleted in  1643,  by  the  addition  of  a  staircase  with  double 
balustrades  and  an  elegant  flight  of  steps  in  front.  In 
olden  times  it  was  the  rendez-vous  of  the  business  men  of 
Deventer,  the  place  where  most  of  the  commercial  trans- 


no  HOLLAND 

actions  took  place.  The  importance  of  these  transactions 
was  much  greater  at  that  epoch  than  might  generally  be 
imagined,  for  Deventer  was  a  rich,  industrial  town,  with 
large  revenues.  Even  now,  Deventer  is  a  town  of  no  mean 
importance.  Besides  its  markets,  which  still  continue  very 
important,  it  carries  on  an  active  manufacture  of  cotton, 
wool  and  silk,  and  especially  a  certain  kind  of  carpet  which 
is  celebrated  throughout  Europe. 

The  environs  of  Deventer  are  as  charming  and  coquettish, 
as  the  town  is  full  of  artistic  houses  and  rich  in  reminis- 
cences. The  silver  Yssel  winds  in  and  out,  green  meadows, 
groves  and  shady  walks  abound  along  its  banks;  and  turn 
in  whichever  direction  one  will  from  the  town,  a  pleasant 
promenade  is  sure  to  invite,  and  then  claim,  our  attention. 
The  country  is  superb  all  around,  but  the  road  to  Apeldoorn 
is  specially  interesting  from  a  variety  of  causes.  Apeldoorn 
is  certainly  one  of  the  finest  villages,  not  only  in  the  prov- 
inces, but  in  the  whole  of  the  Low  Countries;  and  it  is 
there  that  the  favourite  residence  of  Royalty  in  Holland  is 
situated.  The  castle  is  called  Loo. 

The  distance  between  Deventer  and  Apeldoorn  is  about 
eight  or  nine  miles.  We  started  early  in  the  morning,  and 
walked  this  distance  with  the  greatest  ease,  for  the  route 
was  shady,  and  the  cottages  we  passed,  ornamented  with 
flower-gardens  and  large  verandahs,  beguiled  the  monotony 
of  the  way. 

No  such  village  as  Apeldoorn  is  to  be  found  in  France. 
Imagine  several  majestic  avenues  of  elm-trees  a  century  old, 
with  elegant  houses  emerging  from  beneath  their  shade, 


LOO  1 1 1 

surrounded  by  beautiful  flower-gardens.  Each  house  leaves 
its  hall-door  open  and  chairs  are  placed  outside.  They  are 
divided  from  the  road  by  no  wall  or  barrier  of  any  kind, 
and  the  owners  of  these  charming  habitations  appear  to 
live  altogether  in  the  greatest  harmony  and  peace,  like  one 
immense  family  party. 

The  Castle  of  Loo  is  reached  through  these  magnificent 
elm-avenues.  It  is  an  imposing-looking  building,  with  an 
immense  white  frontage  broken  by  a  number  of  windows 
with  outside  shutters  of  a  very  dark  colour.  A  large  court 
of  honour  is  in  front,  with  a  peristyle,  leading  to  a  magnifi- 
cent vestibule,  by  a  staircase  ornamented  from  top  to  bottom 
with  trophies  and  scutcheons. 

The  private  reception-rooms  are  on  the  first  floor;  two 
or  three  of  which  are  still  ornamented  in  the  magisterial 
style  of  the  Eighteenth  Century.  The  others  have  been 
arranged  according  to  the  good  taste  of  the  royal  owner, 
and  are  profusely  ornamented  with  works  of  art,  and 
furnished  in  a  very  costly  manner.  These  rooms  have  a 
pleasant  and  charming  appearance,  and  give  one  the  impres- 
sion that  they  have  been  furnished  and  adorned  by  one  who 
had  an  affection  for  the  place. 

It  is  impossible  to  imagine  anything  more  grandly  beauti- 
ful than  the  park  and  garden  belonging  to  this  castle. 
Lawns,  rich  beds  of  exquisite-coloured  flowers,  gigantic 
black  birch  trees,  chestnut-trees  in  groups  and  apart,  meet 
the  eye  at  every  turn,  forming  the  most  perfect  landscape 
and  charming  scenery.  Each  step  brings  one  to  a  fresh 
surprise  in  the  form  of  a  lovely  nook  or  exquisite  grove,  and 


1 1 2  HOLLAND 

whichever  way  one  walks,  one  appears  to  be  in  a  fairyland  of 
beauty. 

At  the  end  of  the  magnificent  alleys  is  the  ancient  castle 
called  now  the  little  Loo.  It  is  an  old  feudal  building  with 
machicoulis  and  turrets  half  covered  with  creeping-plants, 
ivy  and  honeysuckle.  This  simple  edifice,  destitute  of  any 
official  pretension,  was  erected  about  the  beginning  of  the 
Sixteenth  Century  by  the  Seigneur  Johan  Bentink. 

First  of  all  it  was  a  sort  of  hunting-castle  (Jachtslot')  ; 
then  later  on  it  became  a  lordly  habitation,  and  the  owner, 
knowing  the  advantage  of  having  a  powerful  protector,  paid 
homage  to  Duke  Charles  in  1537.  The  result  of  this  was 
that  it  became  a  transmissible  fief,  subject  to  the  singular 
annual  rent  of  a  hunting-horn  and  two  white  greyhounds. 
Johan  Bentink's  sons  dying  without  issue,  Loo  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Zeger  van  Arnhem,  his  son-in-law.  From 
him  it  went  to  the  Van  Voorst  family;  from  them  it  was 
inherited  by  Van  Isendoorn;  then  later  on  by  Van  Step- 
racht;  till  finally  it  fell  to  the  possession  of  Van  Dornick, 
who  yielded  it  to  the  Stadholder  William  III.  This  prince 
conceived  a  great  affection  for  the  place  and  had  the  ground 
laid  out  in  the  marvellously  beautiful  manner  so  much  ad- 
mired in  the  present  day;  commanded  the  erection  of  the 
new  castle,  the  great  Loo,  and,  in  order  to  ornament  and 
decorate  it  in  the  best  style,  he  employed  the  highest  talent 
of  the  age  to  carry  out  his  wishes.  In  the  meantime  the 
little  Loo  was  turned  into  a  menagerie. 

On  their  return  to  the  country,  the  Princes  of  Orange 
naturally  regained  possession  of  their  magnificent  domain. 


ZUTPHEN  1 1 3 

William  I.  was  very  fond  of  the  place;  he  lived  there  con- 
stantly, and  it  was  in  the  great  hall  of  this  castle  that  he 
abdicated  on  the  iyth  October,  1840.  In  the  presence  of 
his  son  and  grandson,  the  ministers  and  members  of  the 
Council  of  State,  the  old  King  passed  his  crown  to  the 
Prince  of  Orange.  The  President  of  the  Council  read  the 
form  of  abdication;  it  was  signed  by  all  present,  and  then 
the  ceremony  was  over.  Was  it  the  remembrance  of  this 
ceremony,  or  some  other  cause  which  kept  William  II. 
from  enjoying  the  shades  of  this  peaceful  retreat?  He 
rarely,  if  ever,  set  foot  in  the  place.  Fortunately  his  suc- 
cessor, William  III.,  was  particularly  attached  to  the  old 
castle,  and  not  only  lived  there  continually,  but  had  the 
domain  restored  to  its  original  grandeur  and  the  park  and 
gardens  improved,  as  we  have  already  remarked. 

An  enormous  forest,  stretching  to  the  north  as  far  as 
Elspeet  and  to  the  west  as  far  as  the  heaths  of  Miligen, 
joins  the  park  and  gardens  of  this  princely  residence.  The 
desolate  heaths  of  Miligen  are  admirably  adapted,  by  their 
great  extent,  for  military  evolutions,  and  it  is  there  that 
the  grand  manoeuvres  of  the  army  take  place  in  summer 
and  autumn. 

A  beautiful  wide  road  connects  Loo  with  Miligen,  lead- 
ing on  to  Apeldoorn,  and  from  thence  to  Zutphen.  To 
reach  this  last-named  town  requires  three  good  hours'  walk- 
ing; the  moment  the  border  of  the  Yssel  is  reached,  fatigue 
is  forgotten  in  admiration  of  the  charming  and  picturesque 
appearance  of  this  city.  In  the  distance  it  looks  like  a 
great  lake  of  red  roofs  instead  of  shimmering  waves;  but 


H4  HOLLAND 

on  approaching  nearer  one  can  perceive  the  little  river 
Berkel  dividing  the  town  into  two  parts,  washing  its  old 
ramparts,  and  opening  to  view  such  delicious  bits  of  colour 
and  form  that  a  painter  might  go  mad  with  joy  at  sight 
of  them. 

The  old  moat  and  the  wall,  which  formerly  enclosed  the 
enceinte  of  the  town,  form  a  very  attractive  picture,  though 
the  latter  is  partly  hidden  by  houses  which  have  been  built 
out  of  it  by  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  Zutphen.  An  open- 
ing here  and  there,  and  a  bit  of  roof  and  behold  the  house 
was  considered  fit  for  habitation!  Here  and  there  a  wall 
had  been  whitewashed,  or  a  little  plaster  stuck  on,  and  the 
windows  ornamented  with  shutters  or  blinds;  but,  as  a 
rule,  these  places  have  been  left  in  their  original  state,  and 
the  impression  of  the  old  machicoulis  is  still  to  be  seen  under 
the  shadow  of  their  roofs.  Add  to  all  this,  a  mass  of  plants 
and  flowers,  white  inclining  barriers  and  black  worm-eaten 
staircases,  red  roofs  and  grey  walls,  surrounded  by  tiny 
gardens  gay  with  colours  and  with  the  branches  of  their 
trees  drooping  in  the  bright  water  beneath. 

Then,  by  way  of  contrast,  we  see  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  moat  clean,  well-kept  houses,  painted  pale  yellow  or 
grey,  their  outlines  all  perfect,  their  angles  sharp,  and  the 
mouldings  above  the  windows  as  fresh  and  new  as  if  only 
just  finished  by  the  hand  of  the  workman.  They  are  the 
backs  of  the  houses  of  Ijsselkade,  facing  the  large  river. 

Beyond  the  markets  we  have  the  mills — genuine  mills 
— with  enormous  wheels,  half  rotten  by  constant  immersion 
in  the  water,  continually  in  need  of  repair.  They  are  pic- 


ZUTPHEN  1 1 5 

turesque  marks  of  olden  time,  and  were  given  to  the  town 
in  1312,  by  Count  Reinoldt — a  gift  that  was  truly  appre- 
ciated by  the  grateful  inhabitants. 

Following  the  mills  are  the  bridges,  with  their  arched 
vaults  overtopping  the  street  below.  On  either  side  of  the 
river,  which  has  no  quay,  there  are  curious  groups  of  tum- 
ble-down roofs,  latticed  balconies,  boarded  terraces,  leaden 
spouts,  worm-eaten  steps,  and  decayed  walls  covered  with 
verdure  and  moss.  All  this,  in  bright  warm  tints,  is  to 
be  seen  along  the  road,  till  a  grand  and  majestic  ruin  inter- 
cepts the  view  and  draws  one's  attention  to  itself.  This 
ruin  was  formerly  the  gate  to  the  town — one  of  those  called 
WaterpQQrt.  Standing  on  two  enormous  piles,  it  stretches 
across  the  water  like  a  bridge,  thus  commanding  and  defend- 
ing the  access  to  the  river.  Above  the  arches,  open  during 
the  day  for  boats  to  pass  under,  is  a  long  gallery,  with  win- 
dows and  loopholes,  formerly  crowned  with  battlements. 
Two  small  towers,  completing  the  warlike  appearance  of  the 
old  ruin,  have  fallen  a  prey  to  the  ravages  of  time,  and  form 
support  for  the  creeping  ivy  and  iris. 

Beyond  this  old  gate  is  the  new  rampart,  with  its  large 
bastions  and  grand  trees,  commanding  the  surrounding 
country,  which,  although  flat  and  marshy,  is  very  fertile. 
This  new  rampart  encircles  the  city,  here  and  there  follow- 
ing the  ancient  walls,  for  the  Waterpoort  is  not  the  only 
vestige  of  the  old  defences  still  remaining.  Portions  of  the 
wall  are  still  visible  in  various  places,  and  in  the  distance  can 
be  seen  the  double  platform  of  the  Drogenapstoren. 

The  richness  of  the  soil  of  this  country  has  long  been 


n6  HOLLAND 

proverbial.  "  It  is  a  special  favourite  of  Heaven,"  cries 
Bleau,  the  geographer,  in  a  sort  of  ecstasy.  "  The  atmos- 
phere around  it  and  the  air  it  breathes  are  salubrious  and 
strengthening.  The  fields  and  meadows  are  fertile  and 
productive,  as  fattening  for  beasts  as  abundant  in  harvest. 
However,  unfortunately,  this  much-boasted  salubrity  of  cli- 
mate has  not  prevented  Zutphen  from  being  visited  at  vari- 
ous epochs  by  terrible  epidemics.  From  1458  to  1617  it 
was  ravaged  no  less  than  ten  times  by  the  plague,  and  each 
time  the  inhabitants  were  frightfully  thinned  in  numbers. 
This  plague  was  not  the  worst  disaster  which  happened  to 
this  charming  city  in  those  sinister  times.  Sieges,  assaults, 
massacres  and  devastation  of  every  kind  periodically  assailed 
it.  It  was  almost  depopulated  by  the  Spaniards  in  1572. 
However,  in  spite  of  epidemics,  wars,  assaults  of  arms  and 
pillage,  Zutphen  continued  in  a  rich  and  flourishing  state. 
Her  wealth  even  became  proverbial,  passing  into  a  ballad, 
and  sung  about  the  streets  of  Guelderland: 

"  Nymegen  the  oldest 
Roermond  the  largest 
Arnhem  the  gayest 
Zutphen  the  richest." 

Even  at  the  present  time  Zutphen  is  a  very  wealthy  place, 
with  considerable  agricultural  and  commercial  importance. 

If  in  olden  times  Arnhem  was  called  Arnhem  de  lugtigste 
(Arnhem  the  Joyous)  what  could  it  not  be  called  now? 

For  the  last  fifty  years  this  handsome  town  has  been 
growing  handsomer  every  day.  Its  old  ramparts  have  been 


ARNHEM  117 

transformed  into  magnificent  boulevards,  its  military  court- 
yards into  bright  flower-beds  and  its  ancient  moats  have 
been  turned  into  a  flowing  river  ornamented  with  tiny  isles 
and  shaded  by  trees  a  century  old.  It  is  no  longer  a  fair- 
sized  town  "  chef  dee  'Estat  and  Seigneurie  de  Weluwe"  of 
Guicciardini's  time,  but  the  capital  of  the  whole  province; 
an  aristocratic  capital,  too,  abounding  in  pleasures  and  dis- 
tractions of  every  kind. 

Situated  in  the  centre  of  a  hilly  country,  washed  by  the 
calm  majestic  Rhine,  well  laid  out,  well  built  and  with  a 
salubrious  air,  Arnhem  seems  to  have  been  predestined  by 
nature  and  by  man  to  be  the  buen  retiro  of  Holland;  and 
indeed  it  is  so.  Fortunes  are  made  in  Amsterdam  and  Rot- 
terdam, or  better  still  in  Java;  but  it  is  in  Arnhem  that 
they  are  spent  and  enjoyed,  where  well-earned  repose  and 
peace  are  the  reward  of  years  of  toil. 

Here  the  houses  are  as  handsome  as  in  Amsterdam,  Leeu- 
warden,  or  Groningen,  of  elegant  outline  and  carved  orna- 
ment; yet,  owing  to  their  being  constructed  in  brick,  their 
aspect  is  severe;  they  have  no  pointed  gables  or  sloping 
roofs  reminding  one  of  Norwegian  winters;  no  narrow 
doors,  no  granite  steps,  no  chains  or  boundaries  giving  the 
appearance  of  a  rampart  to  each  individual  house,  and 
preserving  the  privacy  of  home  so  dear  to  the  Batavian 
race. 

On  the  contrary,  the  various  soft  tender  shades  of  colour 
give  to  the  houses  a  fresh  gay  appearance,  and  the  terraced 
roofs,  defying  rain  and  storms,  add  to  the  spring-like  aspect 
of  the  town.  Windows  are  wide  open,  and  terraces,  ve- 


n8  HOLLAND 

randahs,  and  gardens,  are  as  fully  occupied  as  the  interior 
of  the  habitations,  enabling  passers-by  to  gain  an  insight 
into  the  domestic  life  of  the  owners.  Again,  the  presence 
in  Arnhem  of  a  large  number  of  Indian  families  has  given 
an  exotic  character  to  the  recently-erected  buildings,  which 
is  very  marked.  Some  affect  Italian  style,  others  old  Ba- 
tavian;  but  all  are  decorated  with  rare  shrubs,  plants  and 
tropical  flowers,  which,  tastefully  arranged,  give  a  very  fes- 
tive appearance  to  each  and  all  of  these  habitations. 

Arnhem  is  one  of  the  few  Dutch  towns  where  the  public 
walks  and  boulevards  are  pleasant  to  the  eye,  the  beauty 
of  which  is  enhanced  by  the  number  of  families  who,  as 
we  have  said,  live  chiefly  in  their  gardens  in  the  summer 
weather,  and  add  colour  and  life  to  their  lovely  surround- 
ings. Then,  again,  the  extension  of  certain  portions  of 
the  town  towards  Velp  and  Rosendaal,  and  the  position  of 
various  chateaux  in  the  neighbourhood,  render  communi- 
cation between  the  town  and  villages  less  difficult  and  the 
constant  passing  to  and  fro  of  carriages  on  the  highway 
enlivens  the  scene.  When  the  time  came  for  us  to  quit 
Arnhem,  we  were  sorry  to  leave  the  gay  little  place  to  con- 
tinue our  route  to  Nymegen  via.  the  Rhine. 

Nymegen  is  situated  on  the  slope  of  a  hill  on  the  river 
Waal,  which  washes  the  lower  town  and  separates  it  from 
Betaw,  a  flat  piece  of  land  forming  an  isle  between  the  Waal 
and  the  Rhine.  Formerly  it  was  the  spot  inhabited  by  a 
people  the  Romans  called  Batavians,  to  whom  they  allied 
themselves  when  they  subjugated  the  neighbouring  inhab- 
itants of  Gaul  and  Germany.  Betaw  and  Waal  were  the 


NYMEGEN  119 

old  German  names  changed  by  the  Romans  to  Batavia  and 
Vahalis. 

The  town  is  not  low  down  and  flat,  scarcely  rising  above 
the  plain  itself,  like  those  we  had  left  behind  us.  On  the 
contrary,  Nymegen  stands  boldly  out  from  the  mountain- 
side with  its  fine  houses  towering  one  above  the  other,  their 
pretty  gables  and  turrets  forming  irregular  lines,  at  once 
pleasing  to  the  eye  and  picturesque  in  appearance.  Its  bright 
colouring  is  enhanced  by  the  green  slope  covered  with  large 
trees  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  by  the  imposing  and 
grand  massive  beauty  of  the  Church  of  St.  Stephen. 

Nymegen  is  divided  through  the  centre  by  a  broad  street, 
from  which  all  the  smaller  ones  lead,  on  one  side  towards 
the  Waal,  on  the  other  in  the  direction  of  the  open  country. 
It  is  here  in  this  principal  street  that  the  chief  public 
buildings  are  to  be  found,  for  it  crosses  the  Grootemarkt, 
leads  past  St.  Stephen's  Church,  skirts  the  University,  and 
terminates  at  the  beautiful  park  where  a  century  ago  the 
battlements  of  the  ancient  Valckhof  stood  towering  above 
the  ground.  This  Valckhof,  the  name  of  which,  according 
to  Pontanus  and  Blaeu,  is  derived  from  Waelhof  (residence 
or  castle  on  the  Waal),  is  incontestably  the  most  ancient 
establishment  of  the  country.  It  is  to  it  that  Nymegen  owes 
its  existence,  and  certainly  it  was  the  origin  of  civilisation 
in  that  part  of  the  country.  According  to  tradition,  it 
was  occupied  and  fortified  in  turn  by  Celts,  Teutons,  and 
Gauls,  and  one  of  the  kings  of  the  country,  called  Magus, 
conceived  the  idea  of  adding  a  town  to  the  citadel. 


UTRECHT 

RICHARD   LOVETT 

THE  ancient  episcopal  city  of  Utrecht,  which  has 
given  its  name  to  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  his- 
torical provinces  of  Holland,  possesses  many  fea- 
tures of  interest.  One  cannot  walk  along  the  streets  without 
being  reminded  of  that  long  past  into  which  its  history 
stretches.  The  old  cathedral  tower,  which  dominates  the 
curious  and  busy  fish  market,  has  stood  there  for  over  five 
centuries.  The  town  in  which  it  is  so  conspicuous  a  land- 
mark had  been  the  seat  of  a  bishopric  for  over  six  hundred 
years  before  that  tower  was  built.  In  the  early  dawn  of 
Netherland  history,  in  the  days  when  Roman  legions  were 
gradually  bending  the  country  beneath  the  yoke  of  the  mighty 
empire,  Utrecht  is  one  of  the  few  known  and  frequented 
spots  now  to  be  recognised.  For  centuries  prior  to  the 
historic  life-  of  many  Dutch  towns,  Utrecht  took  a  prominent 
part  in  the  political  and  religious  life  of  the  nation. 

Utrecht  exerted  an  influence  commensurate  with  her 
wealth  and  importance  in  the  War  of  Independence.  She 
suffered  spoliation  at  the  hands  of  Alva  rather  than  submit 
to  his  arbitrary  taxation.  In  1579,  the  document  known  as 
the  Union  of  Utrecht  was  signed  there  by  representatives 
of  the  seven  provinces,  Holland,  Zeeland,  Utrecht,  Gelder- 
land,  Over-Yssel,  Friesland,  and  Groningen.  These  provinces 

120 


UTRECHT  121 

bound  themselves  to  offer  a  united  resistance  to  foreign 
tyranny,  and  to  develop  as  far  as  possible  full  civil  and 
religious  liberty  in  the  Netherlands.  Although  not  intended 
consciously  and  with  deliberate  forethought  by  the  parties 
to  this  contract,  the  treaty  nevertheless  led  directly  to  the 
formation  of  the  Dutch  Republic  as  a  new,  vigorous  Power 
among  the  States  of  Europe.  The  States-General  assembled 
at  Utrecht  until  1593,  when  the  seat  of  government  was 
transferred  to  The  Hague. 

In  addition  to  possessing  many  buildings  that  testify  to 
her  great  antiquity,  Utrecht  also  exhibits  many  signs  of  a 
rich  and  prosperous  life.  Evidences  of  wealth  are  not  unfre- 
quent,  such  as  fine  streets,  well-built  houses,  and  well-stocked, 
attractive  shops.  The  two  main  thoroughfares  are  the  Oude 
Gracht  and  the  Nieuwe  Gracht,  that  is,  the  Old  and  the 
New  Canal.  These  canal  streets  possess  one  very  curious 
and  not  altogether  attractive  feature.  They  run  through 
the  town  at  a  much  lower  level  than  usual,  and  have  two 
roadways,  one  much  below  the  level  of  the  other.  The 
upper  one  is  lined  with  handsome  buildings  and  fine  shops. 
The  lower  one  with  cellars  and  stores,  and,  in  not  a  few 
cases,  dwelling-houses.  At  intervals  flights  of  steps  descend 
from  the  higher  to  the  lower  roadway.  On  the  whole,  the 
effect  is  very  picturesque;  but  the  thought  that  a  number  of 
the  inhabitants  live  so  near  to  the  uninviting  waters  of  the 
canal  is  not  pleasing. 

Near  the  canal  part  of  the  town,  the  Old  Canal  forms 
the  fish-market,  and  hard  by  is  a  narrow  street  turning  out 
of  it  abruptly  closed  by  the  huge  cathedral  tower.  Busy  as 


122  HOLLAND 

the  scene  in  the  market  generally  is,  and  varied  as  are  the 
faces  and  costumes  to  be  seen  there,  the  attractions  of  the 
episcopal  building  prevail,  and  the  visitor  soon  finds  himself 
in  the  cathedral  precincts.  Here,  again,  as  in  her  canals, 
Utrecht  possesses  a  specialty.  The  tower  and  the  church  at 
first  seem  to  have  no  connection  with  each  other.  They 
stand  apart  on  opposite  sides  of  a  large  square.  The  puzzle 
is  explained  only  when  we  learn  that  in  1674  a  hurricane 
destroyed  the  nave,  and  the  town  has  never  since  been 
wealthy  or  public-spirited  enough  to  rebuild  it.  The  tower 
and  the  east  end  of  the  cathedral  survive;  the  nave  has  for 
ever  gone.  The  cathedral  was  built  about  1255,  and  was 
when  complete  one  of  the  finest  churches  in  Holland.  The 
tower,  originally  384  feet  high,  but  now  only  338  feet,  was 
built  in  the  latter  part  of  the  Fourteenth  Century;  it  pos- 
sesses a  chime  of  forty-two  bells,  and  affords  from  the  summit 
on  a  clear  day  the  most  extensive  view  in  Holland.  "  Of 
what  strange,  surprising,  terrible  events,"  writes  Havard, 
"  has  that  tall  stone  giant  been  the  witness !  It  has  seen 
princes  and  bishops,  emperors  and  kings,  pass  by  its  base. 
A  hundred  yards  away  from  it  a  pope  was  born,  and  yet  it 
has  witnessed  the  destruction  of  the  emblems  of  the  old  faith. 
After  having  summoned  Romanists  to  the  Mass,  its  bells 
have  summoned  Protestants  to  their  services.  Often  it  has 
looked  down  upon  Olden  Barneveld,  as  he  came  to  rekindle 
the  flagging  ardour  of  his  partisans;  and  not  only  does  it 
cast  its  shadow  over  the  tomb  of  the  Princess  Solms,  the 
wife  of  the  Stadholder  Frederick  Henry,  but  at  its  feet  Louis 
XIV.,  drunk  with  his  greatness,  in  a  day  of  madness  there 


UTRECHT  123 

caused  the  Calvinistic  Bible  to  be  burnt.  French  bullets 
respected  its  arches;  but  in  a  night  of  tempest  the  nave  was 
swept  away.  What  a  romance  might  be  written  with  the 
title,  The  Souvenirs  of  a  Cathedral  Tower." 


ON  VUrCH  WATERWAYS 

G.    CHRISTOPHER   DAVIES 

THE  first  appearance  of  a  foreign  coast  was  to  me 
interesting,    although    it    displayed    nothing    but 
dreary,  barren  sandhills,  very  irregular  in  outline, 
with  here  and  there  a  church  tower  sticking  up  like  a  spike 
from  behind  them.     But  these  sandhills  were  the  fortifica- 
tions of  the  country  which  lay  in  the  hollow  behind;  its  de- 
fence against  the  masterful  power  of  the  sea. 

"  We  have  made  the  land  none  too  soon,"  quoth  the  skip- 
per, pointing  to  the  southward  sky,  where  a  dense  black  mass 
of  clouds  was  rapidly  sweeping  towards  us,  below  which  the 
sails  of  the  craft  near  the  mouth  of  the  North  Sea  haven 
were  being  blotted  out  by  the  rain-storm.  In  a  few  minutes 
it  was  upon  us,  a  deluge  of  rain  and  a  squall  of  wind.  The 
coast-line  disappeared  and  the  sea  began  to  rise.  The  skipper 
steered  us  in  as  close  as  sounding  would  warrant  us,  for,  as 
he  said  : 

X 

"  We  won't  lose  the  land  if  we  can  help  it,  now  that  we 
have  found  it.  It  will  be  a  dirty  night." 

So,  with  an  occasional  glimpse  of  the  sandhills  through  the 
blinding  rain,  we  kept  on  until  the  lighthouses  of  Ymuiden 
came  in  sight,  and  our  passage  was  safely  made. 

As  we  steamed  between  the  long  and  massive  piers  which 
project  into  the  sea  from  Ymuiden,  and  form  a  long  harbour 
leading  to  the  sluices  of  the  great  canal  which  goes  straight 

124 


ON    DUTCH    WATERWAYS      125 

to  Amsterdam,  the  sight  which  met  our  eyes  was  interesting 
in  the  extreme. 

After  clearing  two  or  three  tugs  and  smacks  and  a  dredger, 
which  left  us  little  room  at  the  entrance,  we  saw  some  fifty 
schuyts  beating  down  the  narrow  channel,  out  to  sea  for  the 
night's  fishing.  These  curious  craft  had  bluff  bows,  flaring 
high  out  of  the  water  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  long 
narrow  leeboards,  tall  masts,  with  mainsails  very  narrow  and 
pointed  in  the  head,  which  were  supported  by  short  gaffs  bent 
like  a  bow,  giving  the  sails  a  sugar-loaf  sort  of  look.  The 
jibs  were  fastened  to  the  stem-head,  and  there  was  no  bow- 
sprit, while  at  the  mastheads  they  had  long,  coloured  stream- 
ers. The  boats  seemed  uncommonly  handy,  for  they  "  came 
about  "  like  tops,  and  seemed  easily  handled.  It  was  ticklish 
work  steering  amongst  them,  as  the  space  was  so  small  and 
they  were  so  thickly  crowded  together. 

Going  about  three  hundred  yards  along  the  canal  we 
moored  to  the  side,  the  shallow,  sandy  bottom  not  allowing 
us  to  approach  nearer  than  seven  or  eight  yards  at  that  spot. 
There  wras  of  course  a  good  depth  of  water  in  the  middle  of 
this  fine,  broad  canal,  which  has  done  so  much  to  forward 
the  trade  of  Amsterdam.  The  sea  traffic  used  to  be  carried 
on  through  the  North  Holland  Canal,  running  all  the  way  up 
to  Nieuwe  Diep,  and  before  the  construction  of  that,  through 
the  fast-shoaling  Zuyder  Zee.  Near  us  were  moored  several 
large  vessels,  in  comparison  with  which  we  were  a  pigmy. 
Fussy  little  steamers  passed  and  repassed,  growing  fewer  as 
the  evening  advanced,  so  that  at  last  we  were  comparatively 
quiet.  The  rain  had  passed  off,  and  after  a  good  dinner, 


I  z6  HOLLAND 

wash,  and  change  of  clothes,  we  felt  refreshed,  and  stepped 
ashore  to  explore  Ymuiden. 

There  was  not  very  much  to  see,  however.  The  great 
sluices,  and  the  ships  moored  hard  by,  the  schuyts  already 
running  back  before  the  rising  gale,  the  heaped-up  sand-dunes 
showing  yellow  against  the  pale-green  windy  sunset,  a  few 
streets  of  clean  and  tidy  houses,  did  not  promise  much.  But 
there  were  little  details  which  interested  us.  On  a  highly 
varnished  oak  barge,  which  had  come  up  with  a  cargo  of 
bricks,  was  a  woman,  not  only  neatly  dressed  in  dark  brown 
and  spotless  white,  but  with  a  gold  helmet  covering  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  head;  this  helmet  would  cost,  as  we  after- 
wards learned,  some  twenty  pounds  in  the  least.  It  was  a 
curious  contrast  to  the  dress  and  appearance  of  an  English 
bargee's  wife.  The  husband's  dress,  it  may  be  remarked, 
though  tidy,  was  not,  I  should  say,  so  expensive,  by  a  long 
way,  as  his  English  brother's  would  have  been,  and  that  is 
not  saying  much.  There  were  plenty  of  bright,  healthy  chil- 
dren playing  about,  and  every  one  with  either  pink  or  white 
stockings  on,  quite  clean  and  fresh-looking  at  that  time  in  the 
eveni'ng,  although  they  had  probably  been  playing  in  them 
all  day. 

In  the  morning  it  was  still  blowing  hard  from  the  south- 
west, and  on  the  bar  the  sea  was  breaking  heavily,  the  white 
spray  being  visible  above  the  hollows  of  the  sandhills.  We 
were  soon  under  weigh,  and  the  banks,  which,  near  Ymuiden 
are  very  high,  became  much  lower,  so  that  we  could  see  over 
the  surrounding  country.  The  canal  was  also  less  artificial  in 
appearance,  and  the  margin  was  fringed  with  reeds,  tall 


ON   DUTCH    WATERWAYS     127 

grasses  and  bulrushes.  There  was  a  wide  prospect  on  either 
hand,  flat,  indeed,  but  not  monotonous,  for  the  bright-green 
polders  and  meadows  were  diversified  with  groups  of  houses 
and  clumps  of  trees.  The  houses  had  painted  gables,  gen- 
erally painted  a  brilliant  green,  great  sloping  roofs  like  four- 
sided  pyramids,  covered  with  tiles  so  highly  glazed  that  they 
shone  like  mirrors  in  the  sun.  Then  there  were  quaint  farms 
and  taverns,  quainter  groups  of  peasants,  barges  sailing  and 
barges  towed;  steam-tugs  and  passenger  steamers,  giving 
variety,  life  and  motion  to  the  busy  water  highway  and  its 
peaceful  banks. 

We  stood  in  groups  around  Peter  the  pilot,  who  was  at  the 
wheel,  and  pumped  him  to  the  best  of  our  ability  and  to  the 
extent  of  his  broken  English.  The  morning  was  cheery  and 
pleasant,  with  a  wind  strong  enough  to  take  one's  breath 
away  when  one  faced  it,  and  making  it  almost  impossible  to 
bring  guide-books  and  maps  on  deck,  and  difficult  indeed  to 
retain  one's  headgear.  To  right  and  left,  canals  branched  off, 
and  red-sailed  barges  moved  briskly  over  the  meadows  on 
unseen  waterways.  Peter  was  anxious  to  show  us  anything 
worth  seeing,  and  told  us  names  of  places  to  the  right  and 
left. 

"  Dat  is  de  canal  to  Haarlem,"  and  so  on ;  and  at  length, 
as  a  heron  rose  from  the  bank :  "  Dat  is  de  bird  dat  pick  de 
eel  from  de  vater." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  our  skipper,  "  that  is  an  old  trick  of  theirs. 
We  have  plenty  of  them  in  our  country." 

We  kept  a  lookout  for  storks,  which  we  supposed  would  be 
crowded  about  everywhere,  but,  to  our  disappointment,  none 


iz8  HOLLAND 

were  to  be  seen.  A  heron  wasn't  half  foreign  enough 
for  us. 

"  Look  yonder,"  said  the  skipper.  "  Is  that  where  they 
store  the  surplus  windmills  of  Holland  ?  " 

And  truly  there  was  some  reason  for  this  question.  For  in 
the  near  distance  were  windmills  in  rows,  in  dozens,  in 
twenties,  and  apparently  in  hundreds,  stretching  away  to  a 
vanishing  point,  and  each  one  trying  to  twizzle  round  faster 
than  its  neighbour. 

"  Dat  is  Zaandam.  Dere  is  dree  honered  and  sixty-five 
windmills,  one  for  every  day  in  de  year,"  explained  Peter. 

"  But  why  have  they  put  all  in  one  place  ?  "  asked  Row- 
land, who  was  of  a  very  inquiring  turn  of  mind. 

"  Dey  is  not  all  in  one  place.  Dere  is  nine  tousand  wind- 
mills in  all  Holland.  Plenty  more  in  oder  places,  as  you 
will  see  for  yourselves  when  you  go  about." 

"  But  what  do  they  all  do  ?  "  persisted  Rowland.  "  They 
can't  all  be  pumping  water  in  Zaandam." 

"  Saw  wood,  grind  corn,  and  many  oder  tings — like  you 
use  steam  in  your  country,"  replied  Peter. 

"  There  seems  something  wrong  about  those  mills,  Row- 
land," said  I.  "  What  is  it  now  ?  " 

"  They  do  seem  wrong,  sir.  I  see  that  every  one  has  can- 
vas sails  instead  of  the  vanes,  which  we  usually  have  in  Nor- 
folk, but  there  is  something  else,  too." 

"  I  have  it.  They  turn  round  the  contrary  way.  Our 
millsails  always  turn  with  the  sun,  or  over  from  right  to  left. 
These  go  backwards,  every  one  of  them,  from  left  to  right." 

The  canal  grew  wider  and  the  banks  less  formal,  and  we 


OX    DUTCH    WATERWAYS     129 

had  entered  the  Y,  as  the  long  arm  of  the  Zuyder  Zee  on 
which  Amsterdam  is  built  is  called.  The  strong  wind  raised 
a  respectable  sea,  and  out  of  the  Zaandam  canal  a  red-sailed 
barge  came  hissing  gallantly  along,  her  sails  close-reefed  and 
her  bluff  bows  completely  hidden  in  the  cloud  of  foam  and 
spray  she  drove  up  in  front  of  her.  These  flat-bottomed 
Dutch  craft  are  built  to  go  over  the  water  rather  than  through 
it,  and  this  being  so,  flat  sloping  bows  are  apparently  better 
than  fine  ones,  while  the  vessel,  for  a  given  length,  carries 
more  cargo. 

The  barges  or  schuyts  grew  more  numerous,  large  steamers 
and  sailing-vessels  were  visible  in  numbers,  the  Y  broadened 
out  to  its  full  and  goodly  proportions,  and  there,  on  our 
right,  was  Amsterdam.  The  appearance  of  the  city  from 
the  water  is  exceedingly  fine.  There  are  large  and  handsome 
buildings,  wedged  in  between  crowded  gables  of  every  variety 
of  height  and  form;  spires,  towers  and  cteeples,  masts  and 
sails,  all  mixed  up  together;  and  not  only  is  there  every 
variety  of  form,  but  every  variety  and  tone  of  colour  is  there 
also.  Houses  and  water  and  vessels  are  entangled  together 
in  an  olla  podrida  of  colour  and  form,  which  the  delighted 
eye  in  vain  attempts  to  separate. 

It  is  easy  to  draw  a  map  of  Amsterdam.  Draw  a  straight 
line  which  will  represent  the  Y,  with  its  crowded  quays, 
plant  one  leg  of  a  pair  of  compasses  on  this  line  and  draw 
some  twenty  half-circles,  one  outside  the  other;  these  are  the 
canals.  Then  draw  a  number  of  straight  lines  radiating 
from  the  point  like  the  spokes  of  a  bicycle  wheel.  These  are 
the  streets,  with  a  bridge  at  every  intersection  of  the  half- 


130  HOLLAND 

circles.  Now  you  have  as  good  a  map  of  Amsterdam  as  you 
want,  if  you  are  a  man  of  principles  and  don't  go  in  for 
details. 

It  struck  us  that  the  prevailing  idea  of  every  Dutch  archi- 
tect is  to  design  a  more  striking  gable  and  ornamentation 
than  any  of  his  professional  brethren,  and  that  he  keeps  ex- 
perimenting. In  no  other  way  could  we  account  for  the 
diversity  of  pointed  gables  which  topped  the  high  and  narrow 
houses,  and  made  the  streets  look  more  like  a  stage  background 
than  real  places  existing  in  this  century.  Then  each  gable 
had  a  crane  projecting  horizontally  out  of  it  at  the  apex, 
for  the  purpose,  as  we  learnt,  of  hoisting  furniture  and  other 
articles  up  to  any  story  of  the  lofty  dwellings,  without  the 
risk  of  chafing  paint  and  plaster  on  the  staircase. 

Of  course,  there  is  never  a  straight  vertical  line  anywhere  ; 
the  crowded  houses  lean  against  each  other  with  a  gravity 
which  does  not  look  a  sober  gravity.  If  it  were  necessary  to 
pull  down  or  alter  any  of  these  mutually  supporting  tene- 
ments, the  others  would  surely  fall  like  houses  of  card.  When 
I  show  any  of  my  photographs  of  Amsterdam  to  candid 
frierrds,  they  remark:  "  I  say,  old  man,  either  you  or  your 
camera  must  have  been  very  unsteady  when  you  took  this." 
And  when  I  reply  that  it  is  Amsterdam  which  is  unsteady, 
they  smile  incredulously. 

The  numerous  canals,  some  broad,  some  narrow,  but 
almost  all  with  a  busy  street  alongside,  and  shielded  by  rows 
of  trees,  were  interesting  to  us,  because  of  the  abundance  of 
barges,  schuyts,  tjalks,  and  snibs,  which  thronged  their  green 
surfaces.  Loading  and  unloading,  punting,  towing,  or  sail- 


OX    DUTCH    WATERWAYS      131 

ing  all  day  long,  there  was  a  constant  movement  of  vessels; 
while  in  the  evening,  when  work  was  done,  the  women  and 
children  made  themselves  very  neat  and  clean  and  tidy;  and 
sat  on  the  tops  of  their  little  cabins  and  sewed  and  talked, 
while  the  shadows  deepened  on  the  canals,  which  were  now 
so  still,  mirroring  the  tall,  straight  masts  and  tall,  crooked 
houses  on  their  smooth  surface.  The  barges  are  all  carefully 
washed  and  scrubbed  when  the  day's  work  is  done,  until  the 
varnished  oak  shines  again;  and  the  men  aboard  them  spend 
their  leisure  time  in  giving  a  touch  of  varnish  here  and  there, 
or  polishing  the  brasswork,  which,  in  the  shape  of  thin  sheet 
brass,  is  nailed  on  to  every  spot  where  there  is  a  decent 
excuse  for  putting  it. 

The  view  of  Amsterdam  from  the  Y  is  especially  inter- 
esting, and  we  just  drifted  about  here  and  there,  admiring 
it  as  it  lay  in  a  blaze  of  bright  sunshine,  which  came  for  a 
short  time  out  of  the  windy  sky.  Numbers  of  schuyts  were 
sailing  to  and  fro,  at  what  seemed  to  us  a  great  pace,  consid- 
ering their  clumsy  hulls  and  the  small  amount  of  canvas  they 
carried.  But,  at  all  events,  they  were  wonderfully  handy, 
and  the  huge  leeboards,  which  take  the  place  of  our  centre- 
boards, seemed  to  cause  but  little  trouble  when  they  tacked. 
It  was  curious  to  see  how  these  craft  \vould  sail  away  towards 
the  city;  a  bridge  wxmld  swing  open,  and  the  vessels  would 
be  swallowed  up  by  the  houses  as  they  entered  the  canals. 
Again,  these  hidden  canals  would  disgorge  group  after  group 
of  the  schuyts,  which  would  rapidly  scud  away  eastward  to 
the  Zuyder  Zee,  or  westward  to  the  sea,  or  the  many  canals 
branching  from  the  great  one  to  Ymuiden. 


132  HOLLAND 

The  wide  expanse  of  the  Y,  and  its  good  and  even  depth, 
excited  our  admiration  of  it  as  a  sailing-ground,  yet  not  a 
single  pleasure  boat  or  yacht  did  we  actually  see  sailing  upon 
it.  This  day  there  was  quite  a  sea  upon  it,  as  the  wind  was 
still  blowing  half  a  gale  from  the  southwest.  We  had  heard 
so  many  tales  of  the  dangers  of  the  Zuyder  Zee  in  a  breeze 
that  we  made  special  inquiries  of  the  pilot,  who  assured  us 
that  these  were  much  exaggerated,  and  that  a  run  to  Hoorn 
would  not  hurt  us. 

The  only  thing  he  was  doubtful  about  was  our  draught 
of  water,  and  whether  we  should  be  able  to  enter  the  har- 
bour. Ordinarily  there  was  but  eight  feet  of  water  in  many 
parts  of  the  Zuyder  Zee,  but  this  was  affected  by  the  pre- 
vailing wind.  A  northwest  wind  filled  the  North  Sea,  rais- 
ing the  water  at  Ymuiden  at  high  tide  twelve  feet  above  the 
Amsterdam  level,  and  naturally  raising  the  water  in  the  Zee 
a  foot  or  two.  But  the  recent  prevalence  of  easterly  and 
southerly  winds  would  have  the  contrary  effect,  and  lower 
the  level  one  or  two  feet,  or  more,  which  would  make  a 
serious  difference  to  us. 

We  now  reached  the  massive  sluices  at  Schellingwoude, 
where  the  old  arm  of  the  Zee,  known  as  the  Y  or  I,  was 
hedged  across  by  great  dykes  and  the  water  controlled  by 
locks.  We  passed  through  these  locks  in  company  with  a 
large  light-draught  steamer,  bound  for  Zutphen,  up  the  Yssel 
(which  was  also  our  intended  course) ,  without  difficulty  and 
without  any  charge  being  made,  except  the  gratuity  of  a 
quarter  guelder  to  the  men  whose  duty  it  is  to  make  fast  the 
ropes  to  the  cleats  on  the  lock  walls.  Then  we  steamed  out 


OX    DUTCH    WATERWAYS     133 

of  the  lock,  and  got  our  first  sight  of  the  renowned  Zuyder 
Zee. 

It  was  in  a  somewhat  alarming  state  of  bubble.  Lashed 
by  the  half  gale  into  a  foaming,  yeasty  expanse,  it  was  not  at 
first  attractive.  It  was  a  curious  scene;  the  seething  sea, 
yellow  with  the  mud  stirred  up  by  the  waves,  the  low  green 
shores,  with  here  and  there  the  sharp  spire  of  a  village  church, 
and  a  cluster  of  red  roofs  of  some  larger  town,  groups  of 
trees  scarce  rising  above  the  universal  level,  and,  above  all, 
the  vast  dome  of  the  sky,  where  dark  and  ragged  clouds  hur- 
ried across  the  windy  blue.  There  was  no  other  vessel  within 
sight  on  the  sea,  save  the  Zutphen  steamer,  which  had  got 
ahead. 

As  we  went  northward  the  water  became  a  trifle  deeper, 
and  we  ceased  to  have  any  anxiety  about  running  aground. 
The  land  was  often  hidden  in  thick  blue  rain  clouds,  but  in 
the  pale  gleamy  intervals  we  could  see  the  Island  of  Maarken 
and  the  "  dead  cities  "  of  Monnikendam  and  Edam.  We 
were  most  anxious  to  land  at  Maarken,  but  our  pilot  assured 
us  that  we  could  not  enter  the  harbour,  and  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  land  in  the  boat  with  the  sea  that  was  running. 
So  perforce  we  contented  ourselves  with  running  as  close  by 
it  as  we  could  and  getting  a  good  view  of  its  verdant  shores 
and  clusters  of  red  roofs  shining  brightly  in  a  sunny  gleam 
against  the  blackness  of  a  thunder  cloud. 

And  now  we  were  in  the  midst  of  a  curious  evidence  of 
the  shallowness  of  this  inland  sea.  All  around  were  rows 
of  large  sticks  or  posts,  fixed  in  the  mud,  and  projecting  eight 
or  ten  feet  above  the  surface.  To  these  were  attached  eel- 


i34  HOLLAND 

pots  and  eel-lines  belonging  to  the  Zuyder  Zee  fishermen, 
among  whom  the  eel  is  the  staple  object  of  pursuit.  There 
were  also  numbers  of  anchored  trimmers  or  "  liggers,"  baited 
with  worms.  Threading  our  way  through  lanes  of  these 
sticks,  we  came  within  sight  of  Hoorn,  the  port  to  which  we 
were  bound,  and  the  dispersing  clouds  gave  promise  of  a  fine 
afternoon.  The  appearance  of  Hoorn  from  the  sea  is  par- 
ticularly fine,  the  imposing  Tower  or  Water  Gate,  domi- 
nating the  harbour,  being  very  picturesque,  rising,  as  it 
does,  in  front  of  clusters  of  trees,  masts  of  vessels,  and 
houses. 

Before  breakfast,  as  the  sun  was  shining  brightly  between 
the  squalls,  I  had  gone  out  with  my  camera  and  secured  as 
many  plates  as  the  wind  rendered  possible,  and  then  we  de- 
bated what  we  should  do  with  ourselves  for  the  rest  of  the 
day.  Somebody  suggested  Enkhuisen,  which  is  another  dead 
city,  lying  about  ten  miles  to  the  northeast  of  Hoorn,  on  the 
extreme  point  of  the  promonotory  of  North  Holland,  wrhich 
projects  into  the  Zee.  The  guide-books  told  us  that 
there  was  a  tram  there  along  the  road,  passing  through  the 
interesting  village  of  Blokker,  but  one  of  the  crowd  of  curious 
natives  who  watched  our  every  movement,  and  took  the 
greatest  interest  in  our  deliberations,  informed  us  in  decent 
English  that  there  was  a  railway,  and  no  tram,  and  that  the 
train  started  at  twenty  minutes  to  ten. 

Our  watches  still  had  English  time,  so  we  asked  him  if  he 
could  tell  us  the  time  by  the  one-armed  clock  above  us,  to 
which,  after  some  study  (the  difficulty  in  these  clocks  being 
that  the  hand  is  raised  above  the  face,  permitting  you  to  see 


ON    DUTCH    WATERWAYS     135 

under  it,  the  apparent  position  varying  with  the  distance  of 
the  observer  from  the  clock,  and  the  height  from  the  ground), 
that  it  was  either  a  quarter  or  half-past  nine,  and  that  we  had 
better  make  haste  and  he  would  show  us  the  way.  So  off  we 
started,  and  as  we  neared  the  station  and  saw  the  train 
already  in,  our  kindly  guide  said  that  if  we  would  give  him 
the  money  he  would  run  in  advance  and  get  our  tickets. 
This  he  did,  and  we  were  just  in  time  to  bundle  into  a  car- 
riage. It  was  a  third-class  one,  which,  of  course,  are  the 
most  interesting  to  travel  in  in  a  foreign  country.  It  had 
several  compartments,  with  a  passage  down  the  middle.  The 
end  compartment  was  reserved  for  dames,  and  was  full  of 
peasant  women  in  the  costume  of  the  province.  We  got  so 
that  we  could  peep  through  the  door,  which  was  left  open 
by  mutual  consent,  and  we  scrutinised  the  ladies  while  they 
scrutinised  us.  The  elder  ones  had  broad  gold  bands  encir- 
cling the  back  of  the  head  and  tipped  with  ornaments  and 
bangles  at  the  temples.  The  younger  or  poorer  had  silver 
crowns  of  a  similar  pattern,  with  a  plain  oblong  projection 
on  each  temple.  They  wore  clean  lace  caps  and  linen  ker- 
chiefs, and  various  things  which  I  can't  for  the  life  of  me 
recollect. 

The  interior  of  the  country,  for  the  dozen  miles  or  so  of 
which  we  explored  it,  seemed  less  interesting  to  us  than  other 
parts  of  Holland.  It  was,  of  course,  as  flat  as  flat  could  be, 
and  as  wet  in  parts,  as  Holland  is,  after  all,  but  a  raft  awash 
with  water.  The  meadows  were  not  so  green  as  in  North 
Holland,  but  were  more  like  the  dull  marshes  near  Yarmouth. 
They  were  intersected  by  narrow  canals,  the  water  of  which 


136  HOLLAND 

at  a  little  distance  was  invisible,  their  course  being  marked 
by  the  red-sailed  barges  and  the  steamers  gliding  along  them. 
Then  there  were  wide-stretching,  coffee-coloured  meres,  of 
which  it  was  not  our  good  fortune  to  see  the  larger  ones,  and 
everywhere  were  square  pools  occupying  the  spaces  from 
which  peat  had  been  cut. 

It  is  a  rather  curious  thing  that  in  a  country  where  land 
is  so  precious,  so  much  of  it  should  be  dug  up  and  consumed 
by  fire,  and  that  the  space  occupied  by  this  burnt  land  should 
be  given  up  to  Holland's  greatest  enemy,  water,  but  so  it  is. 
The  use  of  peat  is  still  increasing,  and,  heat  for  heat,  it  is 
still  cheaper  in  Holland  than  coal,  although  weight  for 
weight  the  latter  gives  twice  the  heat. 

The  Friesland  peat  is  brown  and  spongy,  while  that  of 
North  Holland  is  blacker,  more  solid  and  earthy.  In  Fries- 
land,  while  some  of  the  peat  is  dug  out  of  the  more  or  less 
solid  bog,  a  small  proportion  of  it  is  scooped  or  raked  from 
the  bottom  of  pools,  dried  and  compressed  into  shapes.  Of 
course,  it  has  been  found  necessary  to  control  the  digging  and 
manufacture  of  peat  by  law,  to  prevent  irreparable  injury 
being  -done  to  the  land.  Sometimes  a  peat-bog  catches  fire 
and  is  burnt  out,  a  lake  taking  its  place.  Such  is  said  to  have 
been  the  origin  at  Jonker  Meer  in  Friesland,  of  a  lake  at 
Brabant  in  1541,  and  one  at  Utrecht  in  1567.  A  good  deal 
of  Friesland  seems  already  to  have  been  consumed  by  the 
digging  of  peat.  It  is  an  old  joke  that  the  Dutch,  having 
with  difficulty  saved  their  land  from  the  water,  are  now 
burning  it  as  fast  as  they  can. 

Looking  at  the  map  of  Friesland,  there  seems  almost  as 


ON    DUTCH    WATERWAYS     137 

much  water  as  land,  meres  and  connecting  canals  are  so 
thickly  distributed. 

The  provinces  of  Friesland  and  Groningen  suffer  most  from 
inundations;  a  severe  one  being  expected  every  seven  years. 
One  of  the  worst  was  in  1825,  when  not  only  Friesland,  but 
Over-Yssel,  North  Brabant  and  Gelderland  were  inundated. 
Of  the  horrors  of  these  inundations,  the  anxious  watching  of 
the  levels,  the  breaking  of  the  dykes,  and  the  consequent 
death  and  destruction,  it  is  not  the  province  of  a  holiday-book 
to  treat,  but  the  subject  is  a  deeply  interesting  one,  neverthe- 
less. It  may  be  remarked  that  the  level  of  the  land  is  still 
sinking,  as  the  spongy  soil  consolidates  through  drainage,  and 
the  beds  of  the  rivers  are  rising,  as  their  currents  deposit  mud. 

After  all,  Holland  is  but  the  muddy  delta  of  the  three 
great  rivers,  the  Rhone,  the  Meuse  and  the  Scheldt,  as  a 
glance  at  the  map  will  show.  To  protect  this  delta  against 
the  waters  of  these  rivers  on  the  one  hand  and  the  sea  on  the 
other  necessitates  the  severest  attention  to  the  solidity  of  the 
dykes  and  the  efficacy  of  the  drainage  arrangements. 

In  the  province  of  Ysselmonde  alone  there  are  two  hun- 
dred miles  of  dykes,  although  the  province  is  but  fifteen 
miles  long  by  seven  wide,  and  eight  of  the  provinces  of  Hol- 
land have  eighty-five  per  cent,  of  their  surfaces  under  the 
sea  level. 

The  brilliant  green  of  the  rich  flat  pastures  struck  us  as 
being  brighter  than  any  English  meadows.  The  grass  was 
luxuriant  almost  to  rankness,  and  the  blades,  wet  with  the 
rain,  gleamed  in  the  flying  bands  of  sunshine  so  that  all  the 
fields  shone  with  a  lustrous  emerald  hue,  which  had  a  rich- 


138  HOLLAND 

ness  and  depth  all  the  more  effective  because  there  was  but 
little  contrast  of  those  yellow  and  white  and  blue  flowers 
which  make  English  pasture  land  and  marsh  so  variegated  in 
tone. 

The  Dutch  meadows  were  bright,  living  green ;  and  instead 
of  our  hedgerows,  the  fields  were  parcelled  off  by  dykes, 
which  either  glistened  like  bars  of  silver  in  the  sun,  or  were 
as  green  as  the  fields  with  the  weedy  scum  upon  them. 

In  these  lush  meadows  there  were  numbers  of  cows,  all 
black  and  white,  and  not  a  single  red  one  among  them.  This 
is  a  distinct  loss  from  an  artistic  point  of  view,  for  while  we 
dearly  love  a  group  of  red  and  white  cows  in  a  landscape  with 
verdure  clad;  black  and  white  is  too  hard,  and  when,  as 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  Holland,  every  cow  is 
black  and  white,  there  is  a  monotony  in  it,  which  might  be 
avoided  if  the  Dutch  would  only  paint  their  cows  as  they  do 
their  trees. 

We  were  amused  to  notice  that  many  of  the  cows  were 
provided  with  complete  and  very  well-fitting  coats,  thus 
showing  that  extreme  care  is  taken  of  these  big,  long-legged, 
and  sle"ek  animals,  if  they  are  delicate,  or  when  first  turned 
out  to  grass  in  the  spring.  These  Dutch  cows  are  valued 
more  for  the  quantity  of  milk  they  give  than  the  quality, 
and  it  was  a  constant  complaint  with  us  that  we  could  never 
get  really  good  milk.  Probably  the  first  cream  had  been 
skimmed  off  before  it  was  sent  out  for  sale.  We  also  found 
that  the  butter  was  by  no  means  as  good  as  the  pure  country 
article  in  England. 

From  a  Description  of  Holland,  printed  by  Knapton,  in 


ON    DUTCH    WATERWAYS     139 

1743,  I  find  that  these  black  cattle  are,  or  were  then,  brought 
from  Holstein  and  Denmark.  They  were  bought  by  dealers 
at  fifty  shillings  per  head,  sold  to  Dutch  farmers  at  four 
pounds  per  head,  and  after  two  months'  feed,  sold  to  butchers 
at  from  six  shillings  to  eight  shillings  per  head.  This  pre- 
sumably refers  to  bullocks,  but  as  there  is  not  much  attention 
paid  to  making  prime  meat  for  the  market,  an  old  cow  past 
milking  will,  in  Holland,  make  as  good  beef  as  anything  else. 
We  were  rather  out  of  the  way  of  obtaining  information  on 
agricultural  matters,  and  have  not  troubled  ourselves  to  look 
it  up  since. 

On  our  right  we  passed  a  long  village  of  a  single  street, 
the  houses  in  which  looked  more  like  the  toy-houses  with 
trees  which  one  buys  for  children  at  toy-shops.  The  descrip- 
tion of  one  house  will  serve  for  the  whole  lot.  An  accurate 
square  of  ground  is  surrounded  by  a  dyke  with  a  bridge  across 
it  to  the  road.  In  the  middle  of  this  square  is  a  square  house, 
with  low  walls,  and  a  high  pyramidal  four-sided  roof.  The 
lower  part  of  this  house  is  painted  a  bright  red,  the  upper 
part  and  the  gables  green.  The  great  roof  is  partly  thatched 
and  partly  tiled  in  regular  ornamental  patterns,  the  tiling 
generally  being  in  the  region  of  the  windows.  The  front 
part  of  the  house  is  for  the  accommodation  of  its  human 
inhabitants,  the  back  part  contains  the  byres  for  the  cattle. 
Man  and  beast  are  in  the  winter  time  stowed  under  the 
same  roof  and  within  the  same  four  walls,  which  has  the  ad- 
vantage of  compactness  and  convenience.  Four  rows  of 
small  formal  trees  encircle  the  square,  and  each  tree  is  painted 
a  light  blue  to  the  height  of  six  feet  or  so.  The  surrounding 


1 4o  HOLLAND 

dyke  is  covered  with  a  light  green  scum,  that  looks  as  if  it 
had  been  painted  too,  but  is  probably  natural.  This  stagnant 
dyke  receives  the  drainage  of  the  house  (as  is  evident  by  the 
neat  wooden  structures  which  project  over  it),  and  it  also 
supplies  the  drinking  and  washing-water,  which  is  drawn  by 
buckets  from  little  wooden  stages.  True,  we  sometimes  saw 
wells,  but,  from  the  nature  of  the  soil,  this  extra  filtration 
cannot  be  of  much  avail.  All  this  does  not  sound  healthy, 
but  the  general  opinion  is,  that  brandy,  beer,  wine,  and 
gin  are  real  safeguards  against  the  dangers  of  the  marsh  and 
bad  water,  and  that  a  full  stomach  is  an  excellent  preventive 
against  the  ague. 


HAARLEM 

RICHARD  LOFETT 

HAARLEM    is    pleasantly   situated   in   a   wooded, 
somewhat  undulating,  and  extremely  pretty  part 
of   Holland.      In    the   neighbourhood   are   scenes 
that  have  been  depicted  for  all  time  on  the  canvas  of  Jacob 
Ruysdael.      In   the   suburbs,   especially  in   the   direction   of 
Bloemendaal,   rich  in  pleasant  country  houses,  pretty   gar- 
dens, good  roads,  and  well-grown  trees,  the  landscapes  are 
yet  to  be  seen  which  are  so  brilliantly  reproduced  in  that 
artist's  paintings. 

Haarlem  has  been  long  famous  for  horticulture,  and  hard 
by  the  great  Frederick's  Park  is  the  noted  Krelage's  Tuin, 
the  extensive  gardens  and  nurseries  of  Messrs.  Krelage  and 
Son.  The  culture  of  tulips,  hyacinths,  crocuses,  etc.,  has 
flourished  in  Haarlem  for  centuries,  and  almost  incredible 
stones  are  told  of  the  passion  for  tulips  in  the  past,  and  the 
prices  paid  for  rare  roots. 

The  gardens  that  stand  to  the  east  of  Haarlem,  and,  in 
fact,  the  wide  expanse  of  country  stretching  away  eastwards 
to  Amsterdam  and  southwards  to  Leyden,  occupy  what  orig- 
inally were  a  series  of  lakes.  During  the  time  of  the  great 
siege  in  1573,  and  indeed  until  very  recent  times,  what  is 
now  one  of  the  most  fertile  parts  of  the  country  was  covered 
with  water.  Haarlem  Lake,  or  Haarlemmer  Meer,  as  it  was 
called,  is  now  a  commune  of  the  province  of  North  Holland 

141 


1 42  HOLLAND 

and  was  so  constituted  by  law  in  1855.  It  embraces  an  area 
of  46,000  acres.  Roads  now  traverse  in  all  directions,  and 
farm  houses  stand  upon  the  spots  over  which  the  boats  of 
the  Hollanders  carried  provisions  by  night  to  the  beleaguered 
burghers  of  Haarlem  in  1573,  and  where,  upon  the  ice 
during  that  awful  winter  Spaniard  and  Dutchman  met  in 
deadly  fight. 

The  centre  of  Haarlem,  geographically,  is  the  great  mar- 
ket-place. It  is  also  the  centre  of  interest,  inasmuch  as 
around  it  are  found  the  chief  buildings  of  the  town.  Here 
stands  the  statue  to  Lawrence  Janszoon  Coster.  It  stands 
only  a  few  yards  away  from  that  building.  Patriotic  Hol- 
landers maintain  that  to  this  man,  and  not  to  Gutenberg, 
belongs  the  honour  of  the  invention  of  printing. 

The  Groote  Kerk,  or  Church  of  St.  Bavo,  is  a  large  and 
interesting  building,  about  four  centuries  old.  It  is  well- 
preserved,  and  the  twenty-eight  columns  of  the  interior 
present  a  fine  effect.  There  are  two  objects  that  please  the 
curious.  Hanging  from  one  of  the  arches  of  the  choir  are 
some  models  of  ships.  They  commemorate,  not  as  one  at 
first  expects  to  learn,  some  great  naval  victory  or  won- 
derful voyage,  but  the  fifteenth  crusade,  in  which  Count 
William  I.  of  Holland  took  a  leading  part.  They  are  not 
even  the  originals,  which  were  hung  here  as  a  votive  offer- 
ing; those  fell  before  the  assaults  of  time,  and  the  present 
ships  date  from  1688.  They  are  thus  late  in  date  as  com- 
pared with  the  models  they  replace;  but  they  yet  delight 
the  artist  who  wishes  to  know  exactly  what  manner  of 
ships  the  Hollander  of  the  Seventeenth  Century  went  to 


TOWN  GATE,  HAARLEM. 


HAARLEM  143 

sea  in.  There  they  hang,  flags  flying,  sails  all  set,  just  as 
if  they  were  sailing  past  Texel  on  a  voyage  to  the  Indies, 
or  to  meet  the  English  fleet  in  the  Channel. 

The  other  and  much  more  widely  known  feature  of  this 
interior  is  the  huge  organ  that  occupies  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  west  end  of  the  building.  It  long  held  the  proud 
position  of  being  the  largest  organ  in  the  world.  From  this 
high  eminence  it  has  been  deposed  by  modern  enterprise. 
It  still,  however,  stands  near  the  head  of  these  mighty  in- 
struments. It  was  finished  in  1738,  and  thoroughly  restored 
in  1868.  It  possesses  four  keyboards,  sixty- four  stops,  and 
5000  pipes,  the  largest  of  these  being  thirty-two  feet  high 
and  fifteen  inches  wide. 

Over  against  the  Great  Church  stands  the  Town  Hall, 
a  building  which  in  its  day  has  witnessed  a  good  many 
changes.  It  was  originally  a  palace  belonging  to  the  Counts 
of  Holland;  later  it  became  the  Town  Hall,  and  now  it 
serves  partly  as  a  barrack  and  partly  as  a  museum,  the  latter 
containing  the  superb  paintings  of  Frans  Hals.  The  old 
building  thus  links  the  present  and  the  past,  and  it  illus- 
trates the  architecture  and  art  of  the  land.  It  has  lived 
through  the  feudal  times,  through  the  upheavals  and  wars 
and  bloodshed  that  destroyed  the  feudal  power,  through 
the  palmy  days  of  Dutch  municipal  life,  and  it  now  enshrines 
many  interesting  relics  of  the  zenith  of  Dutch  History,  and 
many  noble  examples  of  one  of  the  great  masters  who  flour- 
ished in  the  zenith  of  Dutch  art.  Haarlem,  although  not 
the  birthplace  of  Hals,  was  the  town  where  he  spent  by  far 
the  greater  part  of  his  life.  Many  of  the  pictures  once 


i44  HOLLAND 

possessed  by  the  town  have  found  a  permanent  home  In  the 
Rijks  Museum  at  Amsterdam;  but  it  is  fitting  that  Hals 
should  be  studied  through  his  most  famous  works  in  the 
town  and  by  the  market-place  where  for  so  many  years  he 
was  a  prominent  character.  These  paintings  are  peculiarly 
Dutch,  and  belong  to  the  class  known  as  "  regent "  or 
"  corporation  pieces."  There  are  eight  of  them,  great  pic- 
tured crowded  with  portraits,  painted  at  periods  ranging 
over  almost  the  whole  of  his  working  life,  that  is,  from 
his  thirtieth  to  his  eightieth  year. 

Before  we  bid  farewell  to  the  town  of  Hals  and  Wouver- 
man  and  Jacob  Ruysdael,  we  must  devote  a  few  moments 
to  a  building  that  ranks  high,  not  only  among  the  structures 
of  Haarlem  but  in  the  architecture  of  Holland.  This  is 
the  old  Fleshers'  Hall,  fronting  on  the  Market  Place  be- 
tween the  Town  Hall  and  the  Great  Church.  It  dates  from 
the  Sixteenth  Century  and  is  a  very  good  specimen  of  the 
building  capacity  and  taste  of  that  age.  The  hall  is  a 
splendid  subject  of  study  for  those  interested  in  gables,  and 
the  ornamentation  is  very  rich. 


ON  A  DUTCH  BULB-FARM 

S.   L.   BENSUSJN 

A'ONG  the  many  attractions  that  Holland  offers 
to  tourists  in  the  springtime  of  the  year,  bulb-farms 
take  a  conspicuous  place.  The  most  casual  visitor 
travelling  in  the  train  between  Leyden  and  Haarlem  at 
this  season,  must  find  his  attention  arrested  by  the  splendour 
of  colouring  that  greets  him  on  either  side.  From  early 
April,  when  the  hyacinths  bloom,  down  to  late  June,  when 
the  Spanish  irises  are  at  their  best,  the  fields  hold  carnival, 
and  to  that  carnival  all  the  bulbous  plants  send  their  choicest 
flowers.  Snowdrops  open  the  ball  and  crocuses  follow,  be- 
fore the  elite  begin  to  arrive;  hyacinths,  narcissi  and  tulips 
succeed ;  ranunculi,  anemones,  and  peonies,  come  next ;  the 
stately  Spanish  iris  bringing  up  the  rear.  The  train  traveller 
sees  no  more  than  the  kaleidoscopic  colouring;  the  man  with 
leisure  can  spend  days  among  the  farms,  finding  a  quiet 
welcome  everywhere,  for  the  Dutch  are  proud  of  their 
achievements  and  anxious  that  all  who  are  interested  should 
see  them.  If  the  time  when  rare  bulbs  fetched  a  king's 
ransom  has  passed,  the  achievements  of  the  growers  have 
brought  the  flowers  to  the  zenith  of  their  perfection,  and 
men  at  the  head  of  big  firms  complain  that  they  have  no 
fresh  fields  left  to  conquer.  Time,  money  and  care  are  all 
expended  lavishly;  the  visitor  who  goes  carefully  from  one 
group  to  another  is  lost  in  amazement  at  the  endless  varieties 

145 


146  HOLLAND 

in  form  and  hue,  while  if  his  colour-sense  has  fully  de- 
veloped he  has  a  sense  of  joy  that  few  sights  afford.  The 
air  has  a  scent  whose  sweetness  may  only  be  compared  with 
that  of  the  orange-groves  of  Seville  or  Jaffa.  All  through 
the  fields  run  arms  of  the  endless  canals — narrow  indeed, 
but  wide  enough  to  float  barges  easily;  and  when  the 
fields  are  all  aglow  the  flowers  are  plucked,  taken  in  baskets 
to  the  barges,  which  pass  out  from  the  fields  towards  the 
wider  waters  as  though  they  were  the  ferry-boats  of  some 
Charon  of  the  garden  world,  bearing  the  souls  of  hyacinths, 
tulips,  and  the  rest  to  the  enchanted  land  where  they  would 
bloom  untouched  by  Time.  Once  I  saw  a  big  flower-laden 
barge  go  down  a  canal  at  eventide,  when  all  the  gardens 
lay  bathed  in  the  mists  of  sunset,  and  when  the  air  seemed 
full  of  some  mysterious  silence;  and,  strangely  enough,  it 
called  to  my  mind  the  passing  of  the  Knight  of  the  Grail 
in  the  opera  of  Lohengrin — it  seemed  to  give  expression  to 
the  music.  At  another  time  when  in  the  Scala  opera-house 
of  Milan,  I  saw  the  first  performance  of  Mascagni's  charm- 
ing opera  Iris,  the  meadow  that  sees  the  apotheosis  of  the 
heroine  in'  the  last  act  recalled  to  my  mind  the  fields  round 
Haarlem  in  mid-June. 

To  learn  more  about  the  growth  and  working  of  bulb- 
farms  than  a  glance  at  the  fields  in  bloom  could  teach  me, 
I  decided  to  call  upon  a  firm  that  almost  exclusively  supplies 
English  growers,  a  firm  with  a  London  house,  and  one  in 
which  all  the  employees  speak  English. 

Endless  patience  and  perseverance  are  demanded  to  make 
bulb-raising  a  success.  Six  and  seven  years  are  required  to 


ON    A   DUTCH    BULB-FARM    147 

bring  some  bulbs  to  maturity;  every  month  has  its  allotted 
task  and  the  hours  of  labour  are  very  long.  In  January  and 
February,  when  the  gardeners  are  planting  ranunculus  and 
preparing  the  land  that  has  lain  fallow  for  new  crops, 
work  starts  at  eight  in  the  morning  and  ends  at  five  in  the 
afternoon.  In  March  the  bulbs  are  uncovered,  anemones 
and  herbaceous  plants  are  put  in  the  ground,  and  work 
lasts  from  6  A.  M.  to  7  p.  M.  These  hours  prevail 
in  April  and  May,  when  hyacinths,  tulips,  daffodils,  and 
amaryllis  are  in  flower,  when  fallow  land  is  put  under 
manure  and  sown  with  some  light  crop  of  vegetable, 
and  when  weeding  is  a  delicate  and  necessary  operation 
that  cannot  be  neglected  for  a  day.  In  June  and  July  the 
tulips,  crocuses,  hyacinths  and  narcissi  are  dug  up,  and  work 
starts  at  five  and  ends  at  eight;  and  in  August  and  Sep- 
tember, when  the  bulbs  are  cut  in  a  manner  to  be  described 
later  on,  and  the  hyacinths  are  planted  out  again,  the  maxi- 
mum of  work  is  reached  in  a  sixteen-hour  day,  for  the 
workers  go  out  upon  the  land  at  five  o'clock  and  do  not 
return  until  nine  in  the  evening.  Thereafter  the  days 
shorten,  and  in  the  times  of  tulip-planting,  bulb-covering, 
and  similar  work,  six  to  half-past  is  the  hour  of  commence- 
ment, and  twilight  brings  tasks  on  the  land  to  a  close.  There 
is  a  general  rule  of  leaving  off  work  at  seven  o'clock  on 
Saturday  evenings  throughout  the  year,  a  rule  that  is  most 
advantageous,  owing  to  the  close  proximity  of  Haarlem  to 
Amsterdam.  The  journey  by  slow  train  is  rather  less  than 
half  an  hour,  and  in  Amsterdam  every  man  can  find  his  own 
form  of  amusement,  under  whose  soothing  influence  he  may 


148  HOLLAND 

forget  the  undeniable  strain  of  the  work  that  has  fallen  to 
his  lot.  Most  of  the  workers  seem  to  be  very  healthy.  The 
question  naturally  arises,  Why  are  the  Dutch  able  to  raise 
bulb-farms  to  such  a  degree  of  perfection?  How  are  they 
able  to  do  so  well  at  the  work?  The  answers  are  very 
simple.  If  you  take  up  a  handful  of  the  soil  on  the  dunes 
of  Haarlem,  you  see  it  is  wonderfully  light,  more  like  sand 
than  soil.  Dig  down  for  a  few  feet  and  leave  your  ditch 
for  a  few  hours;  when  you  come  back  the  water  is  settling 
in  it.  Here  are  the  secrets :  a  light  soil  and  abundant  water 
for  the  roots  in  a  supply  that  can  be  so  regulated  by  raising 
the  soil  that  the  roots  take  what  they  require  and  no  more. 
Bulbs  cannot  thrive  in  clay  soil;  watering  on  the  top  rots 
them.  On  the  dunes  near  Haarlem  the  soil  is  perfect,  and 
with  the  favourable  climate  there  is  little  need  for  skilled 
gardening.  Labourers  are  quite  competent  to  do  the  bulk 
of  the  out-of-door  work,  and  even  the  scientific  horticul- 
turists are  at  a  standstill.  Granting  a  cold  January  and  no 
hailstorms,  they  may  expect  excellent  results  from  year  to 
year. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  flower-time  is  of  little 
practical  importance  to  the  bulb-grower.  He  wants  bulbs, 
not  flowers,  and  I  regret  to  say  that  tons  of  exquisite  blooms 
are  destroyed  every  year.  For  trade  reasons  the  flowers 
are  not  sold ;  for  the  sake  of  the  bulbs  they  must  be  cut  when 
they  approach  the  zenith  of  their  bloom,  therefore  they  are 
wantonly  destroyed,  and  this  proceeding  is  an  enduring  blot 
upon  bulb-culture.  Presumably  they  are  not  available  for 
scent,  and  it  is  obvious  that  they  cannot  be  sent  very  far 


ON    A   DUTCH    BULB-FARM    149 

if  they  are  to  arrive  in  good  condition  at  their  destination. 
So  they  are  cut  and  thrown  away,  taken  away  in  the  barges 
to  destruction,  to  waste  the  beauty  of  their  colour  and  shape 
and  fragrance.  There  is  something  very  wrong  here,  some- 
thing that  the  bulb-farmers  should  endeavour  to  remedy,  if 
only  by  the  creation  of  a  market  in  their  own  country  or 
in  Belgium.  Think  of  the  great  slums  of  great  cities,  of 
the  convalescent  wards  in  big  hospitals — remember  what  the 
flowers  would  mean  there! 

One  of  the  most  curious  details  in  the  work  of  the  bulb- 
farmer  is  observed  in  the  late  summer-time,  when  the  hya- 
cinths are  prepared  for  the  purposes  of  propagation.  In  old 
days  a  bulb  was  taken,  slashed  across  transversely,  and  set 
in  the  ground;  by  the  following  season  it  had  thrown  off 
a  number  of  young  bulbs.  An  accident  taught  bulb-farmers 
a  better  method.  One  of  their  number  found  in  some  bulbs 
that  mice  had  been  feeding  upon  an  extraordinary  number 
of  baby  bulbs;  he  examined  them  carefully  and  found  that 
where  the  mice  had  eaten  the  bottom  of  the  bulb,  it  repro- 
duced itself  thirty  or  forty  fold.  This  discovery  gave  rise 
to  quite  a  new  method  of  procedure.  To-day  the  head  man 
takes  the  bulb,  cuts  away  the  bottom  from  the  centre,  and 
stands  the  bulb  in  the  sun  for  some  time:  then  he  plants  it 
out,  and  every  section  of  the  bulb  raises  little  ones  and  nour- 
ishes them  with  its  life  until,  in  the  next  season,  the  parent 
bulb  has  disappeared  entirely,  and  between  thirty  and  forty 
tiny  little  bulbs  are  left  in  its  place.  These  are  taken  and 
planted  out  year  by  year,  and  in  any  time  between  five  and 
seven  years  they  reach  maturity.  Tulips  and  most  other 


150  HOLLAND 

plants  of  the  same  family  propagate  their  species  without 
any  artificial  assistance. 

The  fields  are  beautiful  in  season  and  interesting  through- 
out the  year;  the  storerooms  have  no  beauty,  but  their  in- 
terest is  very  great.  Shelves  and  drawers  are  filled  with  the 
most  varied  assortment,  the  very  smallest  boasting  a  Latin 
name  several  inches  long.  The  heads  of  a  firm  can  tell 
the  general  characteristics  of  any  bulb  in  the  store,  and  know 
the  unaccountable  habits  of  very  many.  For  example,  I  was 
shown  a  harmless  specimen,  looking  rather  like  a  discoloured 
Jerusalem  artichoke.  It  had  no  odour  until  you  pinched  it, 
and  then — you  put  it  down  just  as  quickly  as  possible  and 
asked  for  the  next  curiosity.  Some  of  the  bulbs  have  most 
extraordinary  shapes.  For  example  I  came  across  one  as- 
sortment shaped  like  wisdom  teeth.  Some  have  no  patience, 
they  will  not  wait  at  home  quietly  and  take  their  chance — 
an  excellent  one — of  being  sent  out  into  the  wide  world. 
Before  the  autumn  is  well  upon  them  they  have  flowered 
and  faded  on  the  dry,  sunny  shelves  and  lie  in  lifeless  lengths, 
looking  worn  out.  Packers  are  busy  all  day,  executing  orders 
that  are  numbered  and  recorded  in  the  most  careful  manner 
imaginable,  and  all  the  bulbs  sent  out  pass  through  the 
hands  of  a  man  well  qualified  to  detect  any  possible  flaw. 
The  packages  vary  considerably  in  size;  as  the  prices  paid 
for  consignments  vary  from  a  few  shillings  to  several  hun- 
dreds of  pounds,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the  smallest  inac- 
curacy would  lead  to  confusion.  When  a  big  collection  of 
packages  is  ready,  carriers  take  them  to  the  barges  that  are 
waiting  only  a  few  yards  away,  and  these  barges  take  them 


ON   A   DUTCH    BULB-FARM    151 

direct  to  the  ship  that  is  to  take  them  over  sea.  The  bargee 
in  Holland  is  a  man  of  some  importance;  he  does  the  bulk 
of  the  carrying,  and  of  course  his  prices  are  lower  than  those 
of  people  who  must  employ  horses.  On  bulb-farms  several 
barges  are  kept  busy  throughout  the  year,  taking  the  flowers 
and  bulbs  away  and  bringing  dressing,  gardening  imple- 
ments and  other  material  down  to  the  gardens.  The  trade 
in  bulbs  has  plenty  of  local  competition;  the  farms  crowd 
upon  one  another,  from  beyond  Haarlem  down  to  Leyden; 
prices  are  not  high,  the  outlay  is  constant  and  heavy,  only 
the  immense  output  can  make  the  work  pay.  Imagine  what 
it  means  to  tend  a  bulb  carefully  as  long  as  Jacob  served 
Laban,  or  first  promised  to  serve  Laban  for  Rachel,  to  plant 
it  every  year  in  fresh  ground,  to  keep  it  carefully  in  store 
when  it  is  not  in  the  ground,  and  to  sell  it  in  the  fulness 
of  time  for  threepence!  Of  course,  some  specimens  cost  a 
great  deal  of  money,  but  the  popular  demand  is  ever  for 
the  cheaper  kinds.  The  land  requires  about  one  man  to  the 
acre  for  general  purposes,  without  reckoning  the  staff  em- 
ployed in  the  store.  Wages  are  not  high,  considering  the 
long  hours,  but  the  work  is  permanent,  and  the  light  soil 
is  reckoned  very  easy  to  handle.  Even  in  wet  weather  it 
dries  rapidly  upon  the  clothes,  is  as  easy  to  remove  as  sand, 
and  leaves  no  more  stain.  For  men  who  love  an  active  life 
in  the  open  air,  who  are  not  afraid  of  hard  work,  are  keen 
observers  and  have  trained  their  faculties  of  observation  care- 
fully, the  life  of  the  bulb-farmer  must  be  a  very  pleasant  one, 
and  its  material  advantages  are  not  to  be  disregarded.  Ef- 
fective competition  can  only  be  carried  on  within  the  limited 


1 52  HOLLAND 

area  of  the  district  between  Haarlem  and  Leyden,  and  the 
market  for  the  produce  is  world-wide  and  will  be  steadily 
developed  in  every  part.  Above  all,  the  bulb-farmer  enjoys 
the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he  helps  to  make  the  world 
more  beautiful. 


VENLO  AND  MAESTRICHT 

HENRY   HAZARD 

ON  quitting  Grave  we  go  up  the  Meuse  towards 
Venlo.  Grave  is  surrounded  by  far-stretching 
meadows  interspersed  with  shady  walks  and  bor- 
dered by  grand  old  trees.  There  rich  pasture  lands,  which 
Blaeu  celebrated  for  their  fertility  and  verdure,  are  found 
more  on  the  left  than  the  right  side  of  the  river.  On  the 
opposite  bank,  just  after  passing  the  first  bend  of  the  Meuse, 
and  beyond  the  pretty  village  of  Mook,  are  perceived  those 
arid  eminences  covered  with  wild  heath,  which  bear  the 
name  of  Mookerheide,  a  name  very  lugubrious  in  Dutch 
ears,  for  it  reminds  them  of  a  terrible  defeat,  and  of  the 
death  of  three  brave,  noble  men.  It  was  on  this  very  heath 
that  Counts  Louis  and  Henry  of  Nassau,  and  Prince  Christo- 
pher, the  son  of  the  Elector  of  the  Palatinate,  were  surprised 
by  the  Spaniards  and  massacred,  without  the  cause  for  this 
terrible  misfortune  ever  becoming  known.  Even  the  Spanish 
historians  agree  that  the  bravery  and  courage  of  the  chiefs 
were  irreproachable.  All  mourned  these  three  noble  men  who 
fought  to  the  death  and  were  so  confounded  in  the  melee 
with  their  brave  soldiers  that  their  bodies  could  not  be  found 
afterwards. 

After  passing  Mookerheide,  the  banks  of  the  two  rivers 
regain  their  smiling  aspect,  among  meadows,  fields  and  clumps 
of  trees.  Then  come  the  villages  Middleaar,  Oeffelt,  Heijen, 

153 


154  HOLLAND 

Afferden  and  Bergen,  with  their  pointed  steeples ;  from  time 
to  time  a  ruin  is  passed  and  then  we  see  a  convent  with 
nuns,  which  indicates  to  us  in  a  moment  how  very  much  we 
have  changed  in  latitude,  that  we  are,  in  fact,  in  Catholic 
Guelderland.  As  we  advance,  the  difference  becomes  more 
marked,  until  at  last  Venlo  appears  in  the  distance  concealed 
behind  her  huge  half-demolished  bastions,  and  with  the  re- 
jiains  of  her  old  walls  and  a  few  new  houses  extending  along 
the  riverside. 

One  cannot  call  Venlo  a  handsome  town.  It  has  no  fine 
squares  or  beautiful  promenades,  or  excellent  boulevards;  its 
streets  have  no  buildings  of  any  note,  neither  are  they  very 
broad  or  well-arranged,  but  this  kindly  little  town  possesses 
a  special  interest  for  the  archaeologist,  inasmuch  as  it  marks 
a  very  sudden  transition  line.  To  pass  beyond  her  walls 
is  to  enter  quite  a  new  region;  the  province  of  Limburg 
is  the  only  one  which  does  not,  as  it  were,  form  a  part  of 
the  whole,  for  it  has  neither  the  same  religion  nor  the 
same  traditions,  and  we  may  add,  neither  the  same  manners 
nor  the  same  language  as  the  sister  provinces.  It  is 
Netherland  at  heart  quite  as  much  as  the  others,  but  it 
has  the  appearance  of  forming  the  rearguard  to  this  gen- 
erous country  in  a  special,  peculiar  and  original  manner, 
and  to  have  placed  itself  there  with  its  extenuating  differences 
to  round  off  the  sharp  edge  of  transition.  One  finds  again 
and  again  among  the  populations  of  these  frontier  towns  the 
grand  qualities  inherent  in  the  Batavian  race;  and  while 
they  repudiate  most  energetically  all  Germanic  characteristics, 
they  have  not  hesitated  to  adopt  many  manners  and  cus- 


VENLO   AND    MAASTRICHT    155 

toms  from  the  neighbouring  provinces,  which  up  to  the  end 
of  the  Eighteenth  Century,  were  under  the  Austrian  sceptre, 
although  they  bore  the  name  of  the  Low  Countries. 

Venlo  is  by  no  means  an  ancient  town,  in  spite  of  some 
saying  that  it  was  founded  in  the  year  95  by  a  noble,  rich 
and  powerful  lord  named  ^aluas.  It  was  not  till  September, 
1343,  that  it  attained  the  dignity  of  a  town,  by  the  grace  of 
Duke  Renault,  third  of  his  name,  who  enclosed  it  with  walls, 
and  endowed  it  with  privileges. 

Incorporated  into  the  duchy  of  Guelderland,  Venlo  re- 
mained faithful  to  its  suzerains,  even  in  time  of  sorrow.  It 
was  besieged  by  Margaret,  aunt  of  Charles  V.,  and  heroically 
resisted  the  Imperial  troops.  In  1543,  it  was  united  to  the 
crown  of  Spain,  and  fell  a  victim  to  the  fate  attending  all 
the  towns  belonging  to  that  country,  of  being  taken  and 
retaken,  occupied  now  by  the  troops  of  the  States  and  then 
by  those  of  Austria,  until  the  year  1715,  when  by  the  Barrier 
Treaty,  it  was  definitely  added  to  the  United  Provinces. 

Thus,  subjected  to  many  assaults,  to  which  we  must  add 
one  more — the  siege  of  1794 — it  is  not  difficult  to  imagine 
that  Venlo  possesses  few  uninjured  monuments.  The  large 
church,  the  most  ancient  and  venerable  building  of  the  town, 
has  suffered  perhaps  more  than  many  of  the  smaller  edifices. 
It  would  be  hard  to  tell  now  what  its  plan  was  originally. 
Inaugurated  in  1458,  by  a  son  of  Venlo,  William,  bishop  of 
Nicopolis,  and  archdeacon  of  Briinn,  it  was  enrolled  under 
the  name  of  Saint  Martin.  At  the  present  day,  it  is  a  large 
temple  with  three  naves  of  equal  height,  surmounted  by 
beautiful  arched  vaults.  The  windows  are  fine,  but  furnished 


1 56  HOLLAND 

with  modern  panes  of  an  agreeable  tint.  The  pulpit  is 
cleverly  carved,  but  in  the  Louis  XV.  style;  the  carved 
wainscotting  around  the  baptistry  belongs  to  the  early  years 
of  the  Seventeenth  Century.  The  font  itself  is  of  the  same 
period,  and  is  composed  of  a  magnificent  piece  of  bronze 
in  the  form  of  a  cup,  mounted  on  "a.  projecting  foot  and  orna- 
mented with  heads  of  angels. 

Close  to  the  church  stand  some  old  houses  with  very  curious 
facades.  Like  many  of  the  Dutch  houses,  their  gables  jut 
out  on  the  street;  sometimes  the  edge  of  the  gable,  instead 
of  being  smooth  and  straight,  is  carved  into  very  singular 
forms. 

Venlo  abounds  in  old  churches  and  chapels;  at  every 
step  one  comes  across  these  consecrated  buildings,  some 
transformed  into  barracks  and  others  into  shops.  The 
Town  Hall  has  a  very  picturesque  appearance.  Constructed 
in  1595,  it  once  formed  the  residence  of  Archduke  Albert, 
who  left  nothing  behind  him  as  a  memento  of  his  presence 
in  the  house  but  a  pretentious  inscription. 

If  Venlo  surprises  the  traveller  coming  from  the  northern 
provinces,  by  revealing  to  him  a  world  of  new  customs  and 
manners,  on  reaching  Roermond  his  impressions  are  con- 
firmed with  double  force.  No  one  could  imagine,  on  find- 
ing himself  in  Roermond  that  he  was  visiting  a  town  of 
old  Guelderland,  a  neighbour  of  Arnhem  and  Zutphen,  the 
special  quality  of  which  rhymed  with  that  of  Nymegen. 
Policy,  in  withdrawing  Roermond  from  the  old  province 
and  uniting  it  to  Limburg,  followed  the  dictates  of  geog- 
raphy and  ethnography.  In  Guelderland  it  was  an  alien, 


VENLO    AND    MAASTRICHT    157 

but  in  Limburg  it  returns  to  the  bosom  of  its  family,  if 
I  may  so  express  it,  morally,  intellectually  and  religiously. 
Although  Roermond  is  a  pretty,  well-laid  out  city,  there 
is  nothing  about  it  to  warrant  its  being  called  "  very  large," 
as  affirmed  by  the  old  Guelderland  couplet.  It  must  either 
have  strangely  decreased  in  size  since  that  time,  or  the 
others  must  have  been  considerably  enlarged,  for  Roermond 
is  now  by  far  the  smallest  of  the  four.  Guicciardini  relates 
that  in  his  time  it  was  a  "  city  well  peopled,  rich  and 
abounding  in  fine  buildings."  Pontanus  depicts  it  as  an 
"  agreeable  town,  rich,  spacious  and  abounding  in  religious 
and  civil  buildings,  both  public  and  private,"  an  opinion 
which  might  still  be  quoted  of  it,  if  war,  and  above  all, 
fire,  had  not  despoiled  it  of  its  monumental  beauty. 

In  leaving  Roermond,  we  were  singularly  near  the  end 
of  our  journey.  Maastricht  was  within  a  few  leagues,  and 
we  could  go  no  further  without  quitting  Holland,  that 
old  Gallo-Roman  city  being  in  truth  at  the  extreme  limit 
of  the  kingdom.  East,  west  and  south  it  is  surrounded  by 
foreign  lands,  and  to  the  north  a  narrow  strip  of  territory 
alone  attaches  it  to  the  northern  country.  To  describe 
Maastricht  faithfully  would  need  at  least  a  volume,  or 
even  more,  for  many  volumes  have  been  devoted  to  its 
history  without  exhausting  it.  Every  step  in  its  street  calls 
up  a  flood  of  memories;  there  is  not  a  place  nor  monument 
which  has  not  a  tale  to  tell  or  the  memory  of  some  glorious 
hero  to  recall;  at  every  stroke  of  the  pick  in  the  ground 
faces  are  revived  which  have  disappeared  beneath  it.  People 
who  have  cultivated,  inhabited,  embellished  it,  and  covered 


1 58  HOLLAND 

it  with  monuments,  or  generations  which  have  watered  it 
with  their  blood,  and  died  in  its  defence,  are  resuscitated. 

On  approaching  the  town,  proud  bastions  invoke  recent 
recollections.  The  ramparts  of  Wijck,  the  outskirt  of 
Maestricht,  are  the  portions  of  the  city  situated  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Meuse.  Their  designation — the  refuge 
— has  an  eloquence  of  its  own.  It  seems  to  have  been 
acquired  by  the  fact  that  when  the  town  was  lost,  the  citi- 
zens felt  sure  of  an  asylum  there.  And  first,  to  go  from 
Wijck  into  Maestricht,  the  famous  bridge  to  which  the  city 
owes  its  existence  must  be  traversed.  The  view  from  it 
merits  a  passing  pause,  for  the  panorama  from  this  side 
is  most  charming  and  richly  coloured.  The  old  houses,  the 
ancient  monuments,  the  ramparts,  and  the  churches  com- 
mingle their  picturesque  outlines,  their  hard  and  elegant 
forms,  their  bright  and  gay  colours,  their  bricks  and  their 
stones.  It  is  a  charming  disorder,  in  which  neither  large 
trees,  green  swards,  high  belfries,  majestic  towers,  with 
ancient  profiles  in  walls  embowered  by  age,  are  wanting. 
They  seem  to  watch  over  the  busy  city  as  elder  brothers 
do  over  younger  ones. 

All  is  animation  everywhere,  a  busy  hive  of  life  and  gen- 
eral rejoicing,  in  which  the  ancient  river  rolling  its  silver 
ripples  under  foot  appears  to  participate.  She  bears  lightly 
the  burthen  of  stones  which  has  traversed  her  for  so  many 
ages,  and  her  waves  bury  themselves  under  the  broad  arches 
with  a  strange  whistling  which  resembles  a  kiss,  for  the  town 
loves  the  river  and  the  river  loves  the  town.  This,  in  fact, 
is  the  spot  where  Maestricht  originally  began,  for  it  was 


VENLO   AND   MAASTRICHT    159 

a  fortified  Roman  tete  de  pont,  as  the  old  road  from  Turgau 
to  Cologne  attests,  as  well  as  the  underground  structure  of 
the  ancient  villas.  Tradition  affirms  that  it  was  where 
Wijck  now  stands  that  the  Batavians,  led  by  Claudius 
Civilis,  exterminated  the  legions  of  Vespasian  in  the  Fourth 
Century.  The  tete  de  pont  soon  became  a  fortified  town, 
to  which  Saint  Servais,  feeling  incensed  at  Turgau,  trans- 
ferred the  seat  of  his  episcopacy  for  security  against  the 
Saxons  and  Huns,  who  were  always  rapidly  approaching 
the  Rhine.  The  presence  of  the  holy  prelate  seems  to  have 
brought  luck  to  his  new  living,  for  from  this  time  it  began 
to  increase  and  prosper.  Its  splendid  position  is  universally 
recognised.  Blaeu  has  painted  it  as  "a  convenient  and 
well-planned  city,"  which  other  authorities  have  endorsed. 
Its  bridge  was  in  truth  of  too  great  importance,  for  in  con- 
sequence of  its  rich  revenue  all  the  authorities  of  the  banks 
of  the  Meuse  only  sought  to  seize  and  to  hold  it. 

This  bridge,  however,  is  not  altogether  unknown  to  us. 
It  has  a  civil  history,  which  is  unfortunately  incomplete, 
from  the  frequent  dispersion  of  the  archives  of  Maastricht 
and  her  churches.  But  we  know  that  in  1139  the  Emperor 
Conrad  II.  presented  it  to  the  Chapter  of  Saint  Servais, 
"  for  their  use  and  its  advantage  to  maintain  it,  and  to 
divide  the  revenue  not  absorbed  in  such  maintenance  into 
two  parts,  the  one  for  the  provost  of  the  town,  the  other 
for  the  Chapter."  It  was  a  wooden  bridge,  and  the  Chapter 
acquitted  itself  so  ill  of  the  first  part  of  the  pact,  that  in 
1275,  worm-eaten  and  rotten,  it  fell  during  the  procession 
of  Notre  Dame,  and  killed  more  than  five  hundred  persons. 


160  HOLLAND 

It  was  reconstructed  in  wood  on  the  spot  which  it  now  oc- 
cupies, and  later  on  (1581  to  1585)  it  was  rebuilt  in  stone. 
This  is  the  bridge  which  is  now  seen,  but  renewed  more 
than  once,  arch  by  arch,  and  bit  by  bit.  To  tell  of  all  the 
important  events  associated  with  this  bridge  would  be  to 
recount  the  history  of  Maestricht — bombardments,  butcheries, 
massacres,  triumphal  entries,  religious  festivals,  ceremonies 
and  rejoicings  of  all  sorts.  One  of  the  most  brilliant  of 
the  latter  was  the  nautical  fete  given  by  the  town  to  the 
Czar  Peter  the  Great.  This  bridge  wThich  has  detained  us 
so  long,  interesting  as  it  is,  is  neither  the  most  curious 
construction  nor  the  oldest  building  possessed  by  Maestricht. 
That  which  is  considered  the  most  ancient  is  certainly  the 
Helpoort,  or  Hell-gate.  To  our  perception  this  Helpoort 
deserves  neither  much  "  praise  nor  much  abuse,"  for  it 
seems  to  belong  to  the  commencement  of  the  Roman  archi- 
tecture of  the  country,  that  is  to  say,  the  Ninth  or  Tenth 
Century.  It  is,  however,  more  interesting  than  beautiful, 
consisting  of  a  lofty  masonry  basement,  flanked  by  two 
towers,  round  externally  and  square  within,  surmounted  by 
small  pointed  roofs.  As  to  the  terrible  name  of  Hell-gate, 
it  originated  in  a  sign  which  formerly  ornamented  the  little 
street  on  which  the  gate  abutted. 

Maestricht  has  a  peculiar  dialect  with  a  grammar  and 
a  syntax  of  its  own,  in  which  even  now  amusing  dialogues 
and  pretty  comic  operas  are  written.  The  people  use  no 
other  idiom,  and  in  their  every  day  discourse  employ  poetical 
terms  and  expressions,  indicative  of  their  love  for  their 
proper  tongue,  some  of  which  when  done  into  French  lose 


VENLO   AND   MAASTRICHT    161 

neither  their  wit  nor  their  sense.  Thus  they  say  of  a  lady 
favoured  by  nature  that  she  has  "  un  beau  gilet."  A  woman 
of  the  lower  classes  will  not  threaten  to  box  another 
woman's  ears,  but  tell  her  to  beware  of  the  "  star "  of 
Maastricht,  a  star  which  in  the  arms  of  the  town  has  five 
points,  resembling  a  "  five-leaved  clove,"  an  expression  still 
used  in  some  remote  corners  of  old  France.  In  high  society 
French  is  spoken,  but  no  one  is  unacquainted  with  the 
vulgar  tongue,  which  becomes  more  chaste  and  delicate 
when  spoken  by  gentlefolks,  yet  is  largely  used.  The 
Netherlanders  complain  because  they  do  not  understand  a 
word  of  it,  and  it  is  amusing  to  hear  them  protest  against 
this  peculiarity.  "  Maastricht,"  says  one  of  them,  "  is  not 
yet  a  Dutch  town.  They  have  in  the  first  place  a  special 
language  in  which  books  are  written,  next  they  speak  French, 
and  lastly  they  talk  partly  Dutch.  They  pay  in  Belgian 
francs  and  centimes;  their  cigars  are  five  or  ten  centimes 
each.  The  people  no  longer  go  about  in  woollen  coats,  but 
in  blouses;  the  women  have  ceased  to  wear  caps  or  capes 
with  metal  fronting,  but  tie  kerchiefs  deftly  round  their 
heads." 


MIDDELBURG 

GEORGE  H.  BOUGHT  ON 

OF  all  towns  in  Holland,  I  think — after  seeing  about 
fifty — Middelburg  is  the  most  peculiarly  represen- 
tative and  Dutch.  It  has  in  it  the  most  charming 
examples  of  architecture  and  costume  that  one  could  wish 
to  see.  It  is  quaint  and  original,  clean  to  a  degree,  well-kept, 
and  not  too  dead  and  gone;  in  fact,  on  a  market-day,  it  is 
for  the  time  being  about  as  lively  and  stirring  a  place  as  one 
could  happen  on;  and  they  do  say  that,  on  the  occasion  of 
the  annual  kermesse,  which  lasts  about  a  week,  the  great 
market-place  at  night,  when  the  fun  is  wildest,  is  no  faint 
hint  of  a  public  festival  in  the  regions  down  below.  So  much 
of  an  affair  is  it  here  that  they  talk  of  the  past  one  for  six 
months,  and  prepare  for  the  next  one  during  the  rest  of  the 
year. 

In  passing  along  some  of  the  silent,  well-swept  quays, 
under  the' tall  trees,  one  is  struck  by  the  number  of  well-to-do 
and  even  stately  residences,  seemingly  the  homes  of  descend- 
ants of  the  "  merchant  princes,"  who  made  their  fortunes 
here  when  Middelburg  had  a  commerce  to  boast  of.  There 
were  no  finer  docks  and  waterways  in  all  the  country,  but, 
alas!  fickle  Commerce  one  fine  day  found  other  harbours. 
The  big  ships  sailed  away  one  by  one  into  the  "  Eternal 
Whither,"  and  came  back  no  more.  The  docks  and  basins 
took  on  the  scum  of  idleness,  busy  shipyards  grew  silent,  and 

162 


MIDDELBURG  163 

the  half-finished  hulks  rotted  where  they  stood.  'Tis  the 
fate  of  many  once  thriving  towns.  But  Middelburg  was 
only  sleeping  a  very  long  Rip  Van  Winkle  drowse,  and  there 
was  still  strong  life  in  it  somewhere.  It  awoke  to  energy 
and  action.  When  its  old  neighbour  and  rival,  Flushing, 
began  its  splendid  new  harbours  and  docks  and  station,  high 
hopes  were  held  that  the  new  life-blood  let  into  Flushing 
would  revive  the  entire  Island  of  Walcheren.  Middelburg 
"  shook  itself  together "  for  the  long-looked-for  return  of 
prosperity,  and  new  docks,  canals  and  basins  were  made, 
big  enough  to  float  the  vast  commerce  she  wished  to  see 
again  bustling  about  her  long-deserted  quays. 

But,  sad  to  say,  after  much  outlay  of  money  and  labour, 
after  grand  opening  ceremonies  and  much  kermessing,  coy 
Commerce  came  not,  to  any  great  extent,  to  gladden  the 
souls  of  the  good  burghers,  either  of  Flushing  or  Middelburg. 
Let  us  say,  rather,  that  for  many  years  it  did  not  come. 
Just  lately  there  is  a  better  show  of  shipping  at  both  places. 
"  Time  was  "  when  this  same  Middelburg  was  the  richest, 
proudest,  and  most  powerful  city  in  the  Netherlands.  Its 
most  prosperous  times  were  during  the  Fourteenth  and 
Fifteenth  Centuries,  when  all  the  wines  of  France  and  Spain 
that  came,  not  only  for  the  entire  country,  but  for  towns 
along  the  Rhine  far  into  Germany,  had  first  to  pay  duty 
here.  There  exist  still  many  relics  of  this  powerful  "  octroi." 
There  is  still  the  "  Rouenische  Kade,"  where  the  wine  gal- 
leons of  Rouen  disgorged  their  cargoes  and  their  heavy 
customs  duties.  The  wool-staplers  of  England  and  Scotland 
had  also  rich  and  powerful  houses  here  and  at  Veere,  near 


1 64  HOLLAND 

by,  under  the  protection  of  the  Duke  of  Burgundy,  who 
married  a  daughter  of  James  I.  of  Scotland. 

It  was  still  early  forenoon,  and  I  was  wandering,  loose 
and  free,  down  and  around  crooked  and  devious  streets,  and 
under  archways  into  blind  alleys,  and  out  of  them  into 
wherever  the  picturesque  led  me,  making  my  way  back  to 
the  market-place.  When  I  wished  to  make  sure  of  my 
Town-hall  weather-cock,  I  had  only  to  wait  until  I  came 
to  an  intersection  of  a  few  streets  or  canals  and  it  would 
show  itself.  And  as  its  silvery  carillon  rang  out  some  small 
tinkle  every  seven  minutes,  one  could  not  well  get  out  of 
ear-shot,  if  it  should  happen  to  get  lost  to  view.  There  were 
lots  of  the  picturesque  country-people  about  the  streets,  and 
as  I  followed  stray  groups,  sketching  as  I  walked,  I  was  led 
rather  a  dance.  I  generally  found,  however,  that  no  matter 
how  often  I  lost  sight  of  the  Town-hall,  I  could  always — 
and  did  often,  without  wishing — get  back  to  the  Abbey. 
This  began  to  bother  me,  finally,  for  when  I  had  fairly 
started  for  my  Town-hall  once  or  twice,  and,  losing  sight 
of  my  spire  through  winding,  narrow  short-cuts,  had  found 
myself  back  again  every  time  to  my  starting-point  at  the 
Abbey  I  began  to  say :  "  Confound  this  tiresome  old  relic 
of  antiquity,  it  seems  to  be  a  loadstone !  " 

As  all  roads  lead  to  Rome,  so  did  they  here  all  tend  to  this 
one  spot.  There  was,  at  first,  only  a  small  circular  chapel 
built,  and  then  the  great  Abbey  gradually  grew  around  it, 
the  village  grew  around  that,  and  the  city,  finally,  with  its 
walls  and  ramparts,  grew  around  all.  The  streets  mostly 
diverge  from  the  great  central  church;  others  seem  to  wind 


MIDDELBURG  165 

themselves  spirally  about  it,  as  if  planned  by  some  old 
monkish  humourist,  to  prevent  the  people  from  straying 
from  the  fold,  even  if  they  wished  to.  I  think  I  got 
that  special  bit  of  street-plan  well  into  my  understanding 
before  I  got  out  of  the  merry-go-round  of  the  sacred  pre- 
cincts. There  was  no  time  lost,  however.  It  is  mostly  all 
fish  that  comes  into  the  sketcher's  net.  The  Town-hall 
looks  all  the  better  if  it  has  a  foreground  of  the  picturesque 
market-day  people.  By  the  time  I  arrived  there  the  picture 
was  complete,  even  to  the  effect  of  golden  sunlight  struggling 
through  the  haze  of  the  cool  October  forenoon.  Market-day 
is  generally  a  holiday  as  well  in  Holland.  On  the  slightest 
pretext  out  come  all  the  antique  finery  and  all  the  family 
jewels;  and  they  wear  them  in  profusion,  men,  women  and 
children,  in  Zeeland.  They  pile  on  the  entire  hoard,  on 
nearly  every  part  of  their  person  available.  The  dress  of 
the  Zeelanders  is,  by  far,  the  most  complete  and  elaborate 
to  be  found  in  any  part  of  Holland.  It  is  rarely,  nowadays, 
that  the  men  resist  the  inroads  of  modern  fashion,  but  here 
they  keep  strictly  to  the  costume  of  their  forefathers.  Noth- 
ing creeps  in  to  mar  its  perfection;  it  is  not  worn  only  in 
part ;  it  is  complete,  and  that  seems  to  be  their  pride.  Fashion 
may  come  and  go,  but  they  go  on  forever. 

Still,  if  you  take  the  ensemble  of  the  male  get-up  it  is 
rather  mixed  in  periods  and  styles.  The  hat,  one  shape  of 
it  especially — there  are  three  varieties — with  the  universal 
cut  of  hair  and  the  closely-shaven  face,  has  a  purely  Fifteenth 
Century  effect.  Such  a  number  did  I  meet  that  reminded 
me  of  the  portraits  of  Louis  XI.  of  France,  or  certain  heads 


1 66  HOLLAND 

in  Van  Eyck's  pictures!  The  shirt-collars,  often  embroidered 
with  black  lines,  and  fastened  with  large  gold  button-links, 
are  Fifteenth  Century  also.  The  jacket  seems  to  be  a  sur- 
vival of  the  jerkin  of  two  centuries  later.  The  velvet  knee- 
breeches  are  evidently  a  century  later  still,  as  the  shoes  are. 
The  silver  buckles  on  the  nether  garments  are  often  chased 
richly;  while  as  for  the  four  great  silver  waist-buttons,  or, 
rather,  plates,  that  half  encircle  the  belt,  embellished  often 
with  Scriptural  subjects  in  repousse,  there  is  a  vague  sort  of 
impression  that  they  must  have  survived  since  the  wandering 
Gauls  overran  the  islands  of  Zeeland.  The  other  style  of 
nether  garment  is  short,  wide,  flowing  velvet  trousers.  On 
both  these  there  is  the  same  profusion  of  silver  plate,  and 
both  styles  have  on  either  side,  back  of  the  hip,  a  deep, 
narrow  pocket.  Exactly  where  the  wild  Texan  ranger 
secludes  his  revolver,  the  Zeelander  carries  his  brace  of 
sheath-knives.  They  are  about  the  size  and  shape  and  use- 
fulness of  the  sort  of  knife  that  one  takes  to  a  good-sized 
ham.  The  handles  are  often  of  richly-chased  silver,  or  the 
more  modest  boxwood,  carved  in  quaint  old  design.  These 
murderous  implements,  I  need  not  say,  are  carried  more  to 
complete  the  costume  of  the  country  than  for  active  service, 
though  they  do  say  that  every  proper  Zeelander  knows  well 
how  to  use  them  in  case  of  need.  We  all  know  how  unhappy 
the  most  amiable  full-dressed  Highlander  would  be  without 
a  few  dirks  about  his  girdle,  and  at  least  one  handy  in  his 
garter.  So  doth  the  genial  Zeeland  peasant  sport  his  carvers, 
not  necessarily  to  use  on  a  friend,  but  rather  on  his  bread 
and  cheese. 


MIDDELBURG  167 

The  men  are  a  strongly-built  race,  with  clean-cut,  serious 
features,  bright,  dark  eyes  that  look  through  you,  and  yet 
kindly  enough  natured  I  found  them,  for  all  their  stern 
looks.  The  women  are  very  bonny  now  and  then ;  a  bright, 
clear  complexion,  rosy  and  fresh  and  strong,  and  as  much 
given  to  smiles  and  levity  as  the  men  are  to  grimness  and 
gravity.  Of  course,  I  am  still  speaking  of  the  country-people, 
for  even  the  peasantry  are  extremely  well-to-do. 

The  towns-people  are  like  nearly  all  town  people  the 
world  over — just  one  regulation  pattern,  as  if  clad  by  the 
same  tailors,  "  as  per  sample."  But,  in  towns  like  Middel- 
burg,  the  servants  are  often  from  the  country  round  about, 
and  they  keep  to  their  costume  religiously.  I  was  buying 
some  gold  headgear  here,  such  as  they  sell  to  the  country 
girls,  and,  wishing  to  find  out  how  it  should  be  put  on,  the 
jeweller  called  in  his  servant  from  her  window-splashing, 
who  took  off  her  own  corkscrews  and  dangling  disks  of  gold 
— more  gorgeous  than  those  I  was  bargaining  for — and,  with 
a  certain  air  of  condescension,  tried  on  for  me  my  simpler 
arrangement. 

The  "  attitude,"  so  to  speak,  of  the  Zeelander  is  more 
dignified  and  proud  than  in  most  parts  of  Holland;  in  fact, 
I  doubt  if,  in  all  Europe,  you  will  find  people  with  more  of 
the  air  of  the  "  grand  seigneur "  about  them.  Indeed,  I 
have  heard  that  the  air  of  repose  about  some  of  the  old 
Dutch  towns  is  not  stagnation,  from  their  point  of  view;  it 
is  what  they  admire.  They  don't  wish  to  bustle,  or  be 
bustled  about.  They  are  all  as  rich  as  they  care  to  be,  and 
they  don't  want  to  be  any  happier.  When  a  stray  tourist 


1 68  HOLLAND 

arrives  at  one  of  their  old-fashioned  inns,  he  is  made  to  feel 
that  he  is  only  entertained  as  a  favour,  and  that  they  don't 
really  want  him. 

In  Middelburg,  however,  there  is  a  certain  movement  that 
looks  like  a  lingering  love  of  trade.  The  shops  are  numerous 
and  good — most  of  them,  as  usual,  for  the  sale  of  finery  and 
confectionery. 

There  was  a  constant  fascination  in  and  about  the  old 
Town-hall  for  me.  The  outside  is  very  perfect,  from 
door-scraper  to  the  gold  weather-cock.  Built  by  a  Burgun- 
dian  architect,  in  1468,  it  is  more  French  than  Flemish  or 
Dutch  in  character.  At  the  butchers'  stalls,  in  one  corner 
of  the  building,  the  set-out  of  the  meat,  the  chopping-blocks 
and  hooks,  and  the  general  arrangements  of  the  place,  give 
one  a  perfect  picture  of  the  shambles  of  fleshers'  stalls  of  the 
latter  part  of  the  Fifteenth  Century.  The  inside  of  the 
building,  I  grieve  to  say,  has  not  quite  escaped  the  demon  of 
modern  improvement.  The  fine  old  council-chamber,  how- 
ever, has  been  preserved  pretty  much  in  its  original  form. 
They  do  say  that  the  sketch  for  the  council-chamber  scene 
in  The  Beils,  as  played  by  the  Irving  company,  was  taken 
from  this  very  quaint  old  room.  Holland  is  rich  in  old 
council-chambers,  and  there  are  few  finer  than  this  and  the 
one  at  Veere — or,  rather,  than  the  Veere  one  was,  before 
they  took  down  the  bronze  hands.  There  is  a  most  interest- 
ing collection  of  antiquities  in  this  Middelburg  Town-hall, 
filling  several  rooms,  mostly  with  objects  connected  with  the 
history  of  Zeeland.  There  are,  among  other  things,  the 
grand  old  feasting-batteries  of  the  various  guilds  and  corpora- 


MIDDELBURG  169 

tions;  tankards  and  beakers  and  dishes  of  gold  and  silver; 
plates  and  trenchers  of  pewter  and  quaint  old  Delft ;  goblets 
of  glass  of  Venice  and  Bohemia;  corporation  seals,  medals 
and  badges;  flags,  banners  and  pennons;  warlike  weapons  of 
every  period;  old  instruments  of  music;  books,  parchments 
and  views  of  old  towns ;  plans  and  maps ;  pictures  of  pageants 
and  ceremonies,  many  of  them  showing  by-gone  festivities 
at  this  same  old  burg.  But  most  interesting  to  us  were  the 
several  fine  old  guild  and  corporation  pictures,  some  on  the 
same  scale,  and  in  manner  of  treatment  like  those  that  Frans 
Hals  and  Van  der  Heist  painted  so  gloriously  years  after 
these  were  done.  These  had  a  certain  charm  of  grim  sincerity 
and  naivete  which  the  others,  with  all  their  magisterial  gran- 
deur, lack.  The  portraits  of  the  leading  worthies,  in  the 
guilds  of  wine-coopers  and  wine-merchants,  are  most  vigorous 
and  "  personal "  to  the  last  degree,  to  every  defect  or  merit 
of  the  originals. 


<THE  HAGUE 

RICHARD  LOVETT 

THE  chief  commercial  city  in  Holland  is  not  the 
capital,  the  country  in  this  respect  resembling  the 
United  States.  As  Washington  is  inferior  in  size 
and  business  activity  to  New  York,  so  is  The  Hague  to 
Amsterdam.  More  also  than  any  city  in  Holland  is  it  a 
place  of  "  magnificent  distances,"  that  is,  in  possessing  spa- 
cious squares  and  wide  boulevards.  Indeed,  one  of  the  first 
impressions  on  seeing  it  is  that  a  French  town  has  accidentally 
strayed  in  amongst  its  Dutch  neighbours.  Canals  are  to  be 
seen,  but  as  compared  with  Rotterdam  or  Delft  they  are 
sparse  and  are  found  in  the  by-thoroughfares  rather  than  in 
the  main  streets.  There  are  fine  open  spaces,  broad  streets 
lined  with  trees,  whole  districts  without  a  canal,  and  the 
immediate  suburbs  on  two  sides  at  least  are  very  well  wooded. 
From  the  earliest  times  it  has  stood  high  in  the  favour  of 
the  rank  .and  fashion  of  the  country.  Originally  it  was  a 
hunting-seat  of  the  Counts  of  Holland.  In  fact,  the  Dutch 
name,  'S  Graven  Hage,  or  den  Haag,  means  "  the  Count's 
enclosure  or  hedge."  From  the  latter  part  of  the  Sixteenth 
Century  it  has  been  the  political  centre  of  the  country,  and 
there  the  chief  nobles,  the  foreign  ambassadors,  and  all  the 
important  political  personages  of  the  realm,  have  resided. 
Hence  its  resemblance  to  other  European  cities,  especially 
the  French,  and  it  unlikeness  to  the  sister  towns.  In  walking 

170 


THE    HAGUE  171 

through  the  streets,  signs  of  wealth  and  fashion  are  to  be 
seen  on  every  hand. 

The  Hague  is  closely  associated  with  Maurice  of  Nassau, 
the  second  son  and  the  successor,  as  Stadtholder,  of  William 
the  Silent.  His  character  is  indelibly  stained  by  his  great 
crime,  the  judicial  murder  of  Olden  Barneveld,  and  in  very 
many  ways  he  was  greatly  inferior  to  his  father.  But  he  had 
many  great  qualities,  which  stood  his  country  in  great  stead, 
and  entitle  him  to  a  high  place  among  the  makers  of  the 
Dutch  Republic.  His  genius  was  for  war,  and  he  became 
famous  as  the  capturer  of  cities.  He  was  only  seventeen 
when  his  father  died,  but  by  Barneveld's  influence  he  suc- 
ceeded to  his  father's  power,  and  under  the  two  Holland 
flourished.  Many  were  the  daring  feats  of  arms  accom- 
plished by  him.  The  chief  of  these  was  the  great  victory  at 
Nieuport  in  July,  1600.  He  had  been  unwise  enough  to 
invade  Flanders,  and  was  attacked  when  in  a  very  unfavour- 
able position  by  the  Spanish  army  under  the  Archduke 
Albert.  In  the  end  he  not  only  beat  off  the  attack,  but 
inflicted  a  crushing  defeat  upon  his  hereditary  foes.  He  died 
in  1625. 

The  centre  of  the  city,  the  place  where  the  most  interesting 
historic  buildings  are  found,  where  stand  the  chambers  of  the 
States-General,  the  Hall  of  the  Knights,  and  the  former 
residence  of  Maurice  of  Nassau,  is  by  the  Vyver,  that  is, 
"  the  fish-pond,"  a  lake  in  whose  waters  the  walls  and  turrets 
of  these  buildings  are  reflected,  and  by  whose  banks  run  the 
most  fashionable  promenades  of  the  city.  On  the  south- 
eastern side  of  the  Vyver  stands  the  Binnenhof,  a  group  of 


172  HOLLAND 

old  brick  buildings,  some  of  which  date  from  early  times, 
although  most  of  them  have  been  restored  recently.  The 
palace  built  by  Count  William  in  1250  occupies  this  site; 
his  son,  Florens  V.,  in  1291,  made  The  Hague  his  capital, 
and  when  the  United  Provinces  baffled  Spain  and  made 
themselves  a  great  European  power,  it  was  here  that  the 
successive  Stadtholders  resided.  On  entering  the  square  the 
most  prominent  object  is  the  Hall  of  the  Knights,  a  building 
with  lofty  gables  and  two  turrets,  which  conveys  at  once  the 
impression  that  it  is  an  ecclesiastical  edifice.  It  is  very 
ancient,  but  it  is  not  preserved  as  a  mere  archaeological  relic, 
since  it  now  serves  as  a  storehouse  for  the  records  of  the 
Home  Office.  The  north  and  south  sides  of  the  Binnenhof 
are  occupied  by  the  fine  ranges  of  buildings  which  house  the 
Dutch  Parliament.  Here  centres  the  political  life  of  to-day; 
here  the  diplomatic  fencings,  schemings,  victories  and  defeats 
of  the  past  have  occurred,  and  on  the  square  enclosed  by  the 
two  ranges  of  buildings  some  of  the  most  famous  events  in 
Dutch  history  have  occurred. 

Adjoining  the  Binnenhof  stands  the  Mauritshuis,  once  the 
residence  of  the  great  soldier,  now  the  home  of  the  collection 
of  pictures  which  of  themselves  justify  a  journey  to  The 
Hague.  This  collection  is  one  of  the  best  in  Europe,  and 
one  of  the  most  enjoyable  to  visit. 

The  Town-hall  is  a  considerable  building.  It  dates  from 
1565,  and  was  enlarged  or  restored  in  1734  and  in  1883. 
The  architectural  features  it  presents  are  worthy  of  careful 
attention. 

While  the  capital  of  Holland  in  itself  is  not  so  interesting 


THE    HAGUE  173 

to  a  foreigner  as  many  other  Dutch  cities,  it  is  by  no  means 
destitute  of  attractions.  Every  visitor  is  certain,  before  he 
has  been  long  there,  to  hear  of  the  Huis  ten  Bosch — that  is, 
the  "  House  in  the  Wood,"  and  of  Scheveningen.  They  are 
both  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  The  Hague,  and 
are  well  worth  visiting.  A  visit  to  them  forms  the  readiest 
and  pleasantest  way  of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  pretty 
environs  of  the  city.  The  "  House  in  the  Wood  "  is  a 
royal  residence.  It  was  built  by  the  widow  of  Prince  Fred- 
erick William  of  Orange,  in  memory  of  her  husband,  whc 
died  in  1647.  As  a  building  it  possesses  no  points  of  special 
note,  inside  or  out;  but  the  walk  to  it  through  the  woods  is 
very  enjoyable,  especially  on  a  hot  summer  day.  Sheltered 
from  the  sun,  the  visitor  strolls  along  under  lofty  trees  and 
along  trim  and  well-kept  roads.  The  walk  will  be  all  the 
more  enjoyed  if  he  comes  to  it  fresh  from  some  of  the  bare 
and  treeless  regions  of  Holland.  The  rooms  are  large,  lofty 
and  well  decorated,  the  chief  being  the  Orange  Saloon,  a 
large  octagon  chamber  with  lofty  walls,  decorated  with  loud 
and  highly-coloured  pictures  of  the  Rubens  School. 


ON  A  BIKE  IN  THE  BOSCH 

COUNTESS  OF  MALMSEURY 

B3TH  the  Haag'sche  and  the  Scheveningen'sche  Bosch 
are    the    property    of  _  the    Dutch  nation,    and    are 
kept  up  like  a  stately  English  park;  better,  indeed, 
than  some,  for  the  roads  are  like  the  paths  in  our  gardens, 
rolled  and  covered  with  the  most  beautiful  crushed  shell 
gravel.    The  Hague  and  Scheveningen  are  so  close  together 
that  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  know  where  the  one  begins 
and    the    other    ends.     The    same    may    be    said    of    their 
parks,  of  which  there  are  miles,  intersected  by  lakes  and 
canals. 

We  took  a  roundabout  way  to  the  Bosch  from  the  Lange 
Voorhaut,  whence  we  started.  The  Lange  Voorhaut  is  the 
principal  square,  and  one  of  the  most  fashionable  quarters 
of  The  Hague.  To  begin  with,  it  is  central,  and,  secondly, 
it  is  removed  from  any  canal,  which  renders  it  less  liable  to 
malaria  from  stagnant  water.  It  is  gravelled  all  over  the 
centre  and  planted  with  beautiful  trees — chestnuts,  at  the 
time  of  which  I  write,  in  full  blossom,  beeches  and  limes, 
dotted  with  a  tender  veil  of  young  transparent  green:  the 
spring  in  Holland  being  later  than  ours.  Under  these  I 
pass  with  my  companion,  and  turn  off  to  the  right  by  the 
Vyver,  or  fish-pond,  where  the  water  is  running  and  fresh, 
being  pumped  in  every  day.  The  Vyverberg,  as  the  row  of 
houses  on  the  north  side  of  the  Vyver  is  called,  is  much 

174 


OX    A    BIKE    IX    THE    BOSCH    175 

sought  after  for  this  reason,  and  also  for  the  beauty  of  the 
situation.  On  the  south  side  is  the  Binnenhof,  and  here  the 
Houses  of  Parliament  and  public  offices  are  situated.  The 
whole  is  surrounded  by  pink  horse-chestnuts  in  flower,  and 
there  is  an  island  in  the  midst,  partly  for  the  satisfaction  and 
comfort  of  the  ducks  and  swans,  partly  also  for  ornament, 
planted  as  it  is  with  red  rhododendrons.  On  our  way  we 
meet  a  number  of  motors — cars,  tricycles  and  bicycles — most 
of  which  leave,  as  they  vibrate  along,  a  scent  strong  enough 
for  twenty  packs  of  hounds  to  follow.  We  also  see  a  coster- 
monger's  cart,  about  the  size  of  those  drawn  by  donkeys  in 
London.  To  these  three  powerful  dogs  are  harnessed 
abreast,  strongly  muzzled.  They  are  lying  down  to  rest, 
and  I  get  off  to  examine  them  more  closely.  I  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  central  animal  in  the  shafts  must  suffer 
a  good  deal  from  the  leather  band  round  his  body,  the  tight- 
ness of  which  is  emphasised  by  the  line  of  draft  of  the  cart, 
which  seems  to  me  very  high.  The  muzzles,  too,  do  not 
permit  them  to  open  their  mouths  as  wide  and  hang  out 
their  tongues  as  far  as  we  know  dogs  like  to  do.  But 
presently  their  owner  comes  out;  they  bark  with  delight  at 
the  idea  of  being  allowed  to  proceed,  and  fling  themselves 
with  enthusiasm  into  their  collars.  It  horrifies  me  to  see 
their  driver,  a  tall,  heavy  man,  get  on  the  cart,  while  the 
dogs  strain  cheerfully  at  their  work,  wagging  their  tails,  and 
trotting  along  at  a  great  pace.  I  looked  at  their  feet  while 
they  were  resting  and  saw  no  signs  there,  or  where  the 
collars  press,  of  any  soreness  or  galling.  I  was  told  that,  on 
being  harnessed  in  the  morning,  the  dogs  bark  and  dance 


176  HOLLAND 

about  with  pleasure;  but  whether  this  be  true  or  not,  they 
are  obviously  on  the  best  of  terms  with  their  owners,  and  do 
their  work  with  great  good  will.  One  must  believe,  how- 
ever, that  they  suffer  from  the  dust  and  heat,  and  long 
journeys  with  heavy  loads  which  look  so  disproportionate  to 
their  size;  but  they  are  in  excellent  condition,  being  fed  on 
a  special  kind  of  bread  and  on  horseflesh,  and  we  know  that 
no  dog  who  is  suffering  much  in  body,  or  unhappy  in  mind, 
will  carry  his  tail  in  the  air  as  these  cart-dogs  always  seem 
to  do.  "Why  should  not  a  strong  dog  work?"  asked  my 
Dutch  friend. 

The  size  and  draft  of  the  carts  and  weight  of  the  loads 
and  harness  are  all  regulated  by  law  in  Holland,  the  loads 
being  in  proportion  to  the  weight  of  the  dogs.  They  are, 
on  the  whole,  well  treated,  but,  as  in  England,  a  drunken 
owner  will  always  inflict  untold  horrors  on  the  wretched 
animals  whose  sad  fate  it  is  to  be  in  his  power.  The  breed 
generally  used  is  a  cross  between  a  mastiff  and  a  setter,  but 
I  have  seen  every  kind  of  terrier  even  in  harness. 

London,  as  the  Irishman  said,  would  be  so  much  nicer  if  it 
were  built. in  the  country;  but  The  Hague  actually  is  built 
in  the  country  and  has  no  suburbs.  Trees  are  planted  along 
the  canals,  and  a  great  part  of  the  town  skirts  the  Haag'sche 
Bosch,  while  at  Scheveningen  each  villa  has  quite  a  large 
garden. 

We  proceed  round  the  Vyver  and  back  through  the  Bin- 
nenhof,  reaching  a  canal  which  we  cross  in  order  to  enter 
the  Bosch. 

I  had  often  heard  that  lavender-water  was  an  absolute 


ON    A   BIKE    IN    THE    BOSCH    177 

necessary  adjunct  to  a  stay  at  The  Hague,  but  certainly 
never  expected  to  be  greeted  with  such  a  smell  as  that  which 
we  encountered  at  this  point. 

It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  such  an  odour  of  stagnant 
water  can  be  harmless,  or  how  anyone  can  live,  as  many 
people  do,  with  their  windows  opening  right  on  to  it. 

But,  happily,  we  are  over  the  bridge,  and  then  our  pleas- 
ures begin,  for  a  more  beautiful  wood  I  have  never  seen. 
Cyclists  are  allowed  on  all  the  paths,  which  are  most  excel- 
lently well  kept,  the  tall  arching  beeches  protecting  them 
from  the  wind,  and  there  being  hardly  any  hills  or  even 
undulating  ground,  we  get  along  with  little  or  no  exertion. 
Perhaps  it  is  the  absence  of  hills  which  make  the  Dutch  use 
such  highly-geared  machines,  but  this  is  a  peculiarity  which, 
in  addition  to  the  low  handle-bars  and  heavy  frames,  makes 
riding  them  rather  hard  work.  It  is  certainly  better  to  bring 
one's  own  bicycle,  in  spite  of  the  trouble  of  travelling.  The 
charges  for  hiring  in  Holland  are,  moreover,  very  high.  I 
paid  ten  gulden  for  three  days. 

I  felt  rather  nervous  at  first,  riding  on  the  paths  on  the 
right  side  of  the  road,  and  among  a  crowd  of  children  armed 
with  hoops,  and  was  terrified  by  the  suicidal  dogs,  their  heads 
caged  in  what  are  here  called  "bite  baskets"  (there  has 
recently  been  a  hydrophobia  scare) ;  but  by  degrees  it  seemed 
a  relief  when  foot  passengers,  instead  of  wildly  dashing  back- 
wards and  forwards  to  escape  slaughter  by  cycle,  simply 
walked  straight  at  me,  their  gaze  riveted  on  vacancy,  and 
left  me  to  avoid  them  in  my  own  way.  The  avenues  of 
beeches  in  the  Bosch  are  some  of  the  most  beautiful  I  have 


1 78  HOLLAND 

ever  seen,  and  give  one  quite  the  impression  of  a  Gothic 
cathedral.  Here  and  there  a  primitive  oil  lamp  is  suspended 
by  a  cord  from  tree  to  tree.  High  overhead  the  branches 
meet  in  feathery  arches,  through  which  the  sunlight  glints, 
and  underfoot  the  most  perfect  shell-gravel  and  well-drained 
and  rolled  paths  are  a  luxury  as  rare  as  it  is  delightful.  We 
met  two  policemen  patrolling  the  wood  on  bicycles,  and 
behind  them — a  sight  I  have  never  seen  in  England — an 
officer  in  full  uniform  scorching  for  dear  life.  He  is  not 
scorching  so  fast,  however,  that  he  is  unable  to  stop  suddenly, 
jump  off,  and  salute  with  military  precision  two  other  officers 
whom  he  meets. 

Beneath  the  beeches  there  is  a  carpet  of  familiar  things, 
such  as  wild  parsley,  and  a  tall  sort  of  grass  like  oats;  but 
their  colour  is  much  more  vivid  than  with  us ;  indeed  Holland 
out-emeralds  the  Emerald  Isle  in  the  translucent  greenness 
which  the  damp  soil  gives,  not  only  to  the  actual  vegetation, 
but  to  the  stems  of  the  trees. 

The  "  House  in  the  Wood,"  or  Huis  Ten  Bosch,  where 
the  Peace  Conference  assembled  day  by  day,  lies  to  the  right 
of  our  path  as  we  ride  along.  It  is  a  charming  house,  large 
for  a  private  residence,  but  small  for  a  palace,  prettily  situ- 
ated, rather  plain  outside  from  an  architectural  point  of  view, 
but  beautifully  decorated  by  great  Dutch  masters  inside.  My 
companion,  who  has  an  orange  card  of  admission  announcing 
his  status  as  a  delegate,  passes  me  in  by  the  gate,  and  we 
walk  through  the  silent  rooms,  where,  earlier  in  the  day,  a 
modern  Tower  of  Babel  has  been  trying  in  queer  official 
French,  to  reconcile  the  irreconcilable.  But  it  grows  late, 


ON    A    BIKE    IX    THE    BOSCH    179 

and  if  we  are  to  dine  at  Leyden,  as  we  intend,  we  must 
start  at  once,  leaving  behind  us  the  shady,  winding  alleys  and 
lakes,  clothed  to  their  lips  with  water-plants,  which  are  such 
a  lovely  feature  of  the  wood. 

We  now  emerge  on  to  the  main  road,  which  is  paved  with 
clinkers,  a  horrible  form  of  torture  to  the  cyclist,  full  of 
bumps  and  humps,  and  with  a  continual  jar,  even  when  the 
clinkers  are  smoothly  laid. 

I  can  never  understand  why,  but  all  the  Dutch  roads  with 
which  I  am  acquainted  are  liberally  sprinkled  with  broken 
glass.  This  is  most  dangerous,  both  for  horses,  cyclists  and 
foot-passengers,  and  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  why  it  should 
be  allowed. 

The  wood  continues  on  each  side  of  our  way,  with  occa- 
sional fields  deep  with  grass,  and  full  of  large  black  and 
white  cows,  something  of  the  shorthorn  breed  in  appearance. 
Many  of  these  cows,  and  also  some  of  the  horses  grazing, 
wear  canvas  coats,  like  a  lady's  pet  dog. 

Soon  we  came  to  a  large  house,  standing  back  from  the 
road,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a  wide  canal  only.  In 
Holland  they  are  not  fond  of  fences,  which  bar  the  view  and 
which  they  look  upon  as  one  of  the  great  disfigurements  of 
our  English  parks  and  landscapes. 

"  This,"  says  my  companion,  "  is  called  the  Pauw;  a 
bird,"  he  explains;  and,  seeing  my  puzzled  face,  adds: 
"  What  your  Lord  Beaconsfield  was  so  fond  of."  A  light 
breaks  in  upon  me.  "  Peacock !  "  I  exclaim ;  "  what  a  strange 
name  for  a  royal  residence."  Here  the  may  is  in  full  blos- 
som, the  beeches,  green  and  copper-coloured,  in  all  the  glory 


i8o  HOLLAND 

of  renewed  youth,  and  down  among  the  grass  thousands  of 
little  blue-eyed  flowers  look  up  and  laugh. 

We  meet  more  dogs,  toiling  but  cheerful,  more  scorchers, 
male  and  female — the  latter  always  in  skirts,  and  pass  nu- 
merous wayside  inns  of  a  German  tea-garden  order.  I 
cannot  linger  over  this  peaceful  scene,  for  we  are  coming 
to  one  of  the  many  branches  of  the  Rhine,  which  figures 
curiously  in  Dutch  orthography  as  Rijn,  and  which,  after 
still  further  splitting,  is  at  last  discharged  through  an  iron 
pipe  into  the  sea  not  many  miles  away.  Thence,  by  a 
swinging  bridge,  over  the  wet  ditch  of  the  city  of  Leyden, 
into  the  town  and  to  our  longed-for  tea.  I  think  what 
struck  me  most  at  Leyden  were  some  charcoal  sketches  on 
the  wall  of  the  staircase  of  the  University.  These  are  said 
to  have  been  done  in  the  night  by  one  of  the  students,  and 
represent  the  sorrows  and  joys  of  the  rejected  and  accepted 
candidates  for  a  degree.  They  were  so  good  that  the  authori- 
ties themselves,  who  figure  in  these  caricatures,  have  never 
had  the  heart  to  destroy  them.  We  returned  to  Leyden 
by  rail,  on  account  of  the  clinkers  which  had  given  us  a 
severe  shaking  on  the  way  out. 

Another  day  we  rode  through  the  Scheveningen'sche  Bosch, 
going  through  the  wood  itself  and  along  the  lake,  emerging 
on  to  the  banks  of  a  great  canal,  which  here  flows  into 
the  sea,  regulated  by  a  powerful  sluice.  The  sides  of  this 
canal  are  strengthened  by  stones  cut  from  basaltic  columns, 
such  as  we  have  at  Staffa.  They  are  black,  and  their  shapes, 
which  are  those  of  octagon  basaltic  crystals,  fit  curiously 
into  one  another.  Here,  again,  the  beauty  and  interest  of 


ON   A   BIKE    IN    THE   BOSCH    181 

the  scene  are  marred  by  a  smell,  which  must  be,  one  would 
think,  excessively  malarious,  as  is  also  that  strange  chill 
which,  on  the  hottest  days,  at  sunset  seems  to  settle  into 
one's  very  bones.  The  ride  to  Scheveningen  is  much  pleas- 
anter  than  that  to  Leyden,  as  there  are  foot-paths,  smooth 
and  unclinkered,  for  the  happy  cyclist's  use.  The  road  is 
bordered  with  pretty  little  villas,  set  in  gardens,  open  to  the 
road,  with  a  full  view  of  the  inmates  sitting  at  tea  outside 
their  front  doors,  and  the  road  shaded  by  magnificent  trees. 
On  the  beach  we  see  fisherwomen  with  that  curious  Zeeland 
head-dress,  surmounted  in  some  cases  by  an  ordinary  hat 
or  bonnet.  They  wear  no  sleeves,  and  their  arms  are  purple 
with  exposure  to  the  weather.  Of  this  colour  they  are  said 
to  be  very  proud,  but  in  winter  the  skin  cracks  and  bleeds, 
so  they  must  suffer  like  their  sisters  in  other  ranks  of  life 
pour  etre  belles. 

The  ride  to  Delft  is  also  quite  a  short  one,  and  here  the 
clinkered  highway  may  often  be  avoided  by  keeping  to  the 
two  paths  along  the  canals.  Delicious  milk,  bread,  butter, 
strawberries  and  excellent  tea  and  coffee  can  be  obtained 
almost  anywhere;  and  the  absolute  flatness  of  the  country 
must  be  a  very  great  advantage  for  long  distance  rides. 


SCHEVENINGEN  AND  THE  DUNES 

EDMONDO  DE  AMICIS 

SCHEVENINGEN  is  a  village  two  miles'  distance 
from  The  Hague;  a  road  as  straight  as  an  arrow, 
flanked  on  either  side  by  several  rows  of  fine  elm- 
trees,  which  do  not  allow  a  ray  of  sunlight  to  penetrate, 
leads  up  to  it.  Parallel  to  the  elms  runs  a  double  row  of 
houses,  bowers,  villas,  with  roofs  like  Chinese  arbours,  and 
an  inexhaustible  variety  of  whimsical  fagades  bearing  the 
usual  inscriptions,  alluring  the  passer-by  to  rest  and  pleasure. 
The  road — the  favourite  resort  of  the  townspeople  on  Sun- 
days— is  on  other  days  almost  deserted ;  only  a  Scheveningen 
woman  or  two,  a  few  carriages,  and  the  omnibuses  that 
run  between  the  town  and  the  village,  are  to  be  met  with. 
One  fancies  that  so  fine  a  road  must  lead  to  a  royal  palace 
picturesquely  situated  in  a  large  garden  or  noble  park.  The 
luxuriant  vegetation,  the  silent  shady  walks,  reminded  me 
of  the  grove  by  the  Alhambra  in  Granada.  I  had  forgot- 
ten all  about  Scheveningen;  I  no  longer  seemed  to  be  in 
Holland. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  end,  however,  a  change  so  sudden 
took  place  in  the  scenery  that  I  stopped  short,  aghast;  the 
shady  walks,  the  trees,  the  resemblance  to  Granada  had  all 
melted  away.  I  was  in  the  midst  of  the  sandy  dunes,  in  the 
midst  of  a  dreary  wilderness;  a  salt  wind  blew  upon  my 
face,  and  a  dull,  continuous  powerful  thud  struck  upon  the 

182 


SCHEVENINGEN    AND   DUXES    183 

ear.  Climbing  upon  a  hillock  close  by,  I  found  myself  in 
the  presence  of  the  North  Sea. 

One  whose  experience  of  the  sea  has  been  limited  to  the 
Mediterranean  may  well  be  excused  for  feeling  a  novel  and 
powerful  emotion  at  sight  of  this  sea  and  coast.  The  beach 
is  one  vast  level  expanse  of  fine  and  light-coloured  sand, 
and  the  edge  of  the  restless  waves  is  unceasingly  rolling  back- 
wards and  forwards  upon  it,  like  a  carpet  being  incessantly 
laid  down  and  taken  up  again.  This  sandy  beach  extends 
as  far  as  the  first  belt  of  dunes,  which  are  steep  little  mounds 
of  sand  indented,  scooped  out,  and  deformed  by  the  ever- 
lasting assaults  of  the  waters.  Such  is  the  Dutch  coast 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Meuse  to  the  town  of  Helder.  Neither 
mollusks,  jelly-fish,  shells  or  crabs  are  ever  found  there; 
not  a  blade  of  grass,  not  a  single  green  leaf  is  there  to  be 
seen.  There  is  nothing  for  the  eye  to  rest  upon  but  sand 
and  a  barren  desolate  waste. 

The  appearance  of  the  sea  is  no  less  dreary  than  the 
shore,  and  we  are  surprised  to  find  that  the  wild  fancies 
which  haunted  our  mind  after  reading  of  the  superstitious 
terrors  of  the  ancients — who  represented  the  North  Sea  as 
being  tossed  by  unceasing  winds  and  peopled  by  monsters 
of  gigantic  size  and  strength — are  perfectly  in  keeping  with 
reality.  Near  the  shore  the  waters  are  of  a  yellowish  hue; 
further  on  a  pale  green,  and  beyond  that  a  dead  blue.  The 
horizon  is  almost  always  shrouded  in  a  thick  mist,  which 
often  falls  like  an  impenetrable  curtain  upon  the  waters, 
completely  concealing  the  sea,  and  only  allowing  the  crests 
of  the  billows  that  break  upon  the  sands,  and  a  fisherman's 


1 84  HOLLAND 

smack  in  the  distance,  high  and  dry  upon  the  shore,  to  be 
dimly  discerned.  The  sky  is  almost  invariably  of  a  leaden- 
grey  colour,  with  great  clouds  swiftly  scudding  across  it, 
throwing  dark  and  flitting  shadows  upon  the  water.  In 
some  places  it  is  almost  as  black  as  the  darkest  night,  calling 
up  visions  of  hurricanes  and  shipwrecks  before  the  mind's 
eye;  in  others  it  is  illumined  by  patches,  jagged,  zigzag 
stripes  of  vivid  light  that  look  like  permanent  flashes  of 
lightning  or  the  rays  of  some  unseen,  mysterious  star.  The 
waters  are  ceaselessly  rushing  with  unslackened  fury  and 
passionate  impetus  to  bite  the  shore,  uttering  a  long,  plaintive 
wail  that  sounds  like  a  shout  of  pain  and  defiance  sent  up 
to  heaven  by  the  unanimous  voices  of  a  countless  multitude. 
The  sea,  earth  and  sky  glare  at  each  other  like  relentless 
foes;  and  as  I  gazed  upon  that  spectacle,  I  felt  a  vague 
presentiment  that  some  great  universal  revolution  in  Nature's 
economy  was  imminent. 

The  village  of  Scheveningen  is  situated  upon  the  dunes, 
which  shelter  it  from  the  sea,  and  conceal  it  so  effectually 
that  from  the  beach  nothing  of  it  is  to  be  seen  except  its 
sugar-loaf '  church  steeple,  towering  like  an  obelisk  in  the 
midst  of  the  sandy  plain.  The  village  is  divided  into  two 
parts.  One  consists  of  smart  little  cottages  of  every  imagin- 
able Dutch  shape  and  hue,  built  expressly  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  strangers,  with  a  slip  of  paper,  inscribed  with  the 
words  "  To  Let "  in  different  languages,  posted  upon  them ; 
the  other  part,  inhabited  by  the  aborigines,  contains  nothing 
but  dingy  huts  and  narrow  alleys  which  foreigners  never 
set  foot  in. 


SCHEVENINGEN    AND    DUNES    185 

The  inhabitants,  numbering  a  few  thousand,  are  nearly 
all  fishermen,  and  mostly  very  poor.  The  villagers  still 
one  of  the  principal  stations  of  the  herring-fisheries  to  which 
Holland  is  indebted  for  her  wealth  and  power;  but  the 
profits  of  this  trade  almost  all  go  to  enrich  the  owners  of 
the  fishing-craft,  whereas  the  Scheveningen  fishermen  who 
hire  themselves  out  to  man  them,  scarcely  earn  enough  to 
live  upon.  On  the  beach,  near  the  village,  several  of  their 
stout-looking  one-masted  vessels,  with  their  one  square  sail 
may  always  be  seen  ranged  side  by  side  upon  the  sand — 
like  the  Greek  galleys  upon  the  Trojan  coast — to  prevent 
their  being  swept  away  by  a  sudden  gust  of  wind. 

Scheveningen,  like  all  the  villages  along  the  coast — Kat- 
wyk,  Vlaardin,  Maassluis — has  fallen  very  low  in  com- 
parison with  its  former  prosperous  condition,  owing  to  the 
decline  of  its  herring-fisheries,  which  is  due,  as  everyone 
knows,  to  England's  having  entered  the  lists,  and  also  to 
the  calamitous  wars  in  which  Holland  has  been  involved. 
But  poverty,  instead  of  degrading  it,  has  lent  additional 
energy  to  the  brave  spirit  of  that  little  seafaring  tribe,  which 
undoubtedly  constitutes  the  most  peculiar  and  poetical  part 
of  Holland.  The  inhabitants  of  Scheveningen,  by  their 
outward  appearance,  their  bent  of  mind,  their  habits  and 
customs,  form  quite  a  separate  family,  and  are  almost 
strangers  in  their  own  country.  They  are  only  two  miles 
distance  from  a  large  town,  and  yet  they  have  preserved 
the  stamp  of  a  primitive  race  that  has  always  lived  apart 
from  the  rest  of  the  world. 

Scheveningen  is  not  only  renowned  for  the  eccentricity  of 


1 86  HOLLAND 

its  inhabitants,  which  attracts  many  foreigners  to  visit  it 
and  allures  artists  to  paint  it.  There  are  two  large  bathing- 
establishments,  the  summer  resort  of  English,  Russian,  Ger- 
man and  Danish  tourists,  of  the  cream  of  the  northern 
aristocracy,  of  Princes  and  Ministers  of  State,  of  half  the 
Almanach  de  Gotha  in  short;  and  balls,  gorgeous  illumina- 
tions, fireworks  upon  the  water,  follow  each  other  in  rapid 
succession  during  the  season.  Both  houses  are  situated  upon 
the  dunes. 

At  all  hours  of  the  day,  a  vehicle  somewhat  resem- 
bling an  itinerant  showman's  booth,  drawn  by  a  stout 
horse,  may  be  seen  going  down  the  beach  towards  the  sea, 
suddenly  turning  round  and  one  or  more  ladies  stepping 
out  of  it  and  beginning  to  splash  about  in  the  water,  leaving 
their  golden  hair  to  the  mercy  of  the  sea-breeze.  By  night 
the  air  rings  with  music,  the  bathers  issue  forth;  the  beach 
is  thronged  with  a  festive,  gaily-dressed,  motley  crowd, 
speaking  a  Babel  of  tongues  and  languages,  and  radiant  with 
handsome  faces,  from  all  countries.  A  few  steps  beyond 
this  festive  scene  the  gloomily-disposed  stranger  will  find 
the  dark,  fonely  dunes,  where  the  sound  of  the  band  playing 
on  the  promenade  faintly  falls  upon  his  ear,  like  a  far-off 
echo,  and  where  the  lights  twinkling  in  the  cottage  win- 
dows fill  his  mind  with  thoughts  of  home  and  unruffled 
repose. 

The  first  time  I  went  to  Scheveningen,  I  took  a  long  walk 
upon  the  dunes  that  painters  have  so  often  depicted;  the 
only  heights  that  intercept  the  view  upon  the  boundless 
Dutch  plain;  the  rebellious  daughters  of  the  sea,  whose 


SCHEVEN1NGEN    AND    DUNES    187 

progress  they  Impede;  the  captives  of  Holland  and  her  sen- 
tinels at  the  same  time.  There  are  three  ranges  of  dunes, 
forming  a  treble  barrier  against  the  sea;  the  outer  range 
is  the  most  barren,  the  middle  one  the  highest,  and  the 
inner  one  the  most  fruitful.  The  medium  height  of  these 
sandy  mounds  is  not  over  some  fifteen  metres,  and,  taken 
altogether,  they  do  not  extend  inland  for  more  than  a  French 
mile.  But  in  the  absence  of  mountains  they  seem  to  the 
deluded  eye  to  be  a  vast,  hilly  tract  of  country.  Valleys, 
gorges,  precipices  are  discerned  among  them;  prospects  seem 
to  be  a  great  way  off,  while  in  reality  they  are  close  at  hand ; 
tops  of  neighbouring  dunes  where  one  would  suppose  a  man 
would  look  no  bigger  than  a  child,  and  where  in  reality  he 
appears  to  be  a  giant.  The  dreary  appearance  of  this  wilder- 
ness is  still  further  increased  by  the  rank,  straggling  vegeta- 
tion, which  seems  to  be  the  mourning  garb  of  this  dead  and 
desolate  region;  scanty,  puny  tufts  of  grass;  flowers  with  al- 
most diaphanous  petals;  broom,  heather,  rosemary,  valerian 
— with  now  and  then  a  rabbit  scudding  away  among  them — • 
are  the  only  things  enterprising  enough  to  grow  upon  so 
ill-conditioned  a  soil.  Extensive  tracts  may  be  traversed 
without  seeing  a  house,  a  tree,  or  a  living  soul.  Now  and 
then  a  crow,  a  seagull,  an  owl  will  fly  past;  their  cries  and 
the  wind  moaning  among  the  trees,  are  the  only  sounds  that 
break  the  silence  of  this  dreary  waste.  When  the  sky  is 
black  and  lowering,  then  the  dead,  uniform  hue  of  the 
ground  is  tinged  with  an  ominous  light,  similar  to  the  un- 
natural tints  imparted  to  all  things  when  seen  through  col- 
oured glass.  At  such  times  the  stranger,  wandering  alone 


1 88  HOLLAND 

among  the  dunes,  experiences  a  feeling  akin  to  terror,  as 
one  who  finds  himself  in  an  unknown  land  far  from  every 
human  dwelling;  and  he  anxiously  scans  the  misty  horizon, 
vainly  searching  for  some  church  tower  in  the  distance  to 
cheer  his  heart. 


LEYDEN  AND  DELFT 

RICHARD   LOVETT 

FROM  The  Hague  as  a  centre  several  of  the  towns 
best  worth  seeing  can  be  easily  reached.  It  is  possi- 
ble to  visit  Leyden,  Delft,  Gouda  and  Rotterdam 
in  one  day;  it  is  superfluous  to  say  that  each  deserves  to  have 
at  least  one  day  given  to  it.  Leyden  is  only  a  few  miles 
north  of  The  Hague,  and  the  railway  runs  through  a  fertile 
agricultural  district.  It  is  situated  on  the  Rhine,  the  waters 
of  that  river  entering  the  city  in  two  branches,  the  Old  and 
New  Rhine,  uniting  near  its  centre  and  flowing  slowly 
through  the  town.  Like  Haarlem,  it  conveys  the  impression 
of  being  well-to-do.  The  people  are  well  dressed,  the  houses 
are  clean  and  commodious;  the  Breedestraat,  the  main  thor- 
oughfare, has  several  handsome  buildings  in  addition  to  the 
ancient  Town  Hall;  and  the  great  University  has  not  only 
earned  a  world-wide  reputation,  but  also  brings  yearly  into 
the  town  hundreds  of  young  students,  drawn  to  a  large 
extent  from  the  best  families  in  Holland. 

Like  Alkmaar,  Leyden  has  the  past  glory  of  a  siege  success- 
fully resisted,  and  a  great  Spanish  army  baffled  in  the  strug- 
gle for  independence;  but  her  agony  was  more  prolonged, 
and  that  feat  of  arms  stands  at  the  head  of  the  wonderful 
roll  of  Dutch  deeds  of  heroism  and  endurance.  We  will 
not  linger  over  the  world-known  story  of  those  terrible  five 
months  in  1573  and  1574,  and  of  that  marvellous  deliverance. 

189 


1 9o  HOLLAND 

It  stands  on  the  page  of  history  as  one  of  the  most  striking 
of  providential  deliverances;  the  wind  and  the  sea  driving 
back  the  savage  soldiery,  who  seemed  inconquerable  by  any 
power  less  tremendous. 

As  one  walks  the  streets  of  Leyden  to-day  there  is  not 
much  in  its  appearance  that  recalls  feats  of  arms  and  fitness 
for  warlike  deeds.  But  on  every  hand  are  evidences  of  what 
grew  out  of  that  noted  siege.  When,  in  her  hour  of  triumph, 
Leyden  was  asked  by  a  grateful  ruler  and  nation  to  name  the 
reward  she  would  accept  in  commemoration  of  her  heroic 
deeds  and  awful  sufferings  on  behalf  of  the  fatherland,  those 
responsible  for  her  choice  chose  wisely  and  well.  They  had 
learned,  among  other  lessons  in  their  struggle  with  the 
despicable  bigot  of  the  Escurial,  that  knowledge  is  power, 
and  so  out  of  the  proffered  gifts  chose  that  a  university 
should  be  founded  in  their  midst.  On  January  2,  1575,  the 
letter  of  William  the  Silent,  recommending  the  project  to 
the  States-General,  was  read  in  the  Sessions  at  Delft;  on  the 
next  day  it  was  adopted;  and  on  February  nth  the  Univer- 
sity began  its  great  career.  The  University  was  inaugurated 
with  one  of  those  elaborate  allegorical  celebrations  so  dear 
to  the  burghers  of  the  Netherlands  in  that  age.  Leyden  was 
intended  to  do  for  Dutch  students  what  Louvain  had  hitherto 
accomplished.  The  University  was  endowed  with  the  reve- 
nues of  the  Abbey  of  Egmont,  and  the  staff  of  professors 
chosen  from  the  most  eminent  men  of  the  land.  Every 
official  was  exempt  from  taxation,  and  received,  duty  free, 
his  wine,  beer,  salt,  soap,  coffee,  tea  and  books. 

To-day,  as  the  stranger  wanders  along  the  wide  and  shady 


LEYDEN    AND    DELFT         191 

canals,  passes  the  students'  club,  looks  in  at  any  one  of  the 
numerous  museums,  or  visits  the  University  itself,  he  every- 
where meets  with  abundant  evidence  that  Leyden  is  essenti- 
ally an  academic  town,  Rotterdam  is  seafaring,  Amsterdam 
is  commercial,  Haarlem  artistic,  Leyden  refined,  cultured, 
literary. 

There  are  two  or  three  fine  old  churches,  notably  that  of 
St.  Pancras,  in  which  is  a  monument  of  Van  der  Werff,  the 
noble  burgomaster  who  so  bravely  conducted  the  great 
defence  in  1574.  It  cannot  be  considered  in  any  sense 
adequate  and  seems  to  have  been  chosen  on  the  principle  of 
inverse  ratio,  the  man  being  as  great  as  the  memorial  is 
insignificant.  In  the  main  street  stands  the  chief  architec- 
tural adornment  of  the  city,  the  old  Seventeenth  Century 
Town  Hall.  It  is  well  able  to  hold  its  own  as  a  picturesque 
and  typical  example  of  Dutch  building  of  that  day.  The 
spire  is  especially  fine. 

Like  The  Hague,  Leyden  possesses  a  pleasant  watering- 
place  hard  by  the  city.  Only  six  miles  to  the  northwest,  and 
easily  reached  either  by  steam-tram  or  steamer,  is  Katwyk- 
on-Sea,  the  sea,  of  course,  being  the  German  Ocean.  It  is 
well  supplied  with  hotels,  villas  and  lodgings,  and  in  the 
season  presents  all  the  features  of  a  miniature  Scheve- 
ningen. 

Although  we  cannot  see  its  streets  crowded  with  100,000 
inhabitants,  as  did  those  who  visited  it  in  the  Sixteenth 
Century,  nor  can  we  fully  endorse  the  description  of  Leyden 
given  by  the  old  French  writer  in  his  book,  Les  Delices  de 
Leide,  yet  we  can  sympathise  to  some  extent  with  him  when 


192  HOLLAND 

he  says :  "  The  most  beautiful  and  altogether  charming  city 
of  Holland  is  Leyden." 

No  town  is  richer  than  Delft  in  associations  that  appeal 
to  many  different  types  of  mind.  The  traveller  whose  main 
purpose  is  to  note  characteristic  national  features,  finds  Delft 
quite  as  interesting  as  Leyden  or  Haarlem,  though  differing 
much  from  both.  The  lover  of  Dutch,  architecture  finds 
much  to  note  in  such  buildings  as  the  Gemeenlandshuis,  the 
Town  Hall  and  the  New  Church.  The  compact,  clean 
little  town  is  rich  in  studies  for  the  artist  of  to-day,  and  full 
of  associations  connected  with  past  story  of  Dutch  art.  No 
man  who  is  even  partially  acquainted  with  the  thrilling  story 
of  Dutch  history,  can  go  otherwise  than  as  a  reverent  pilgrim 
to  the  town  whose  streets  "  Father  William  "  trod  so  often, 
to  the  house  where  he  lived  and  died,  to  the  church — the  St. 
Denis  of  Holland — which  witnessed  the  solemn  ceremonials 
of  his  own  funeral,  and  to  which,  one  by  one,  his  chief 
descendants  have  been  brought. 

Delft  is  a  place  of  some  importance  in  Holland,  having 
about  27,000  inhabitants,  and  is  a  pleasant  town  to  visit, 
because  it  is  compact,  its  topography  is  easily  mastered,  and 
on  all  sides  it  presents  signs  of  prosperity.  Both  houses  and 
streets  are  so  clean  that  the  quaint  views  which  abound  on 
every  side  are  veritable  Dutch  pictures.  In  the  past  it  was 
a  busy  manufacturing  town,  and  the  famous  Delft  ware  of 
the  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth  Centuries  is  all  the  more 
eagerly  sought  after  now,  inasmuch  as  the  art  of  colouring 
practised  then  has  been  lost. 

Reaching  Delft  by  train,  the  road  from  the  station  crosses 


MARKET  PLACE  AND  OLD  CHURCH,  DELFT. 


LEYDEN    AND   DELFT         193 

one  or  two  canals,  and  leads  to  what  is  called  Old  Delft,  a 
canal  bordered  on  either  side  by  a  roadway  and  shaded  by 
lime-trees.  This  is  the  old  aristocratic  street  of  Delft.  Here, 
John  Olden  Barneveld  once  lived;  here  is  the  far-famed 
Prinsen  Hof;  here  is  the  Old  Church  with  the  leaning 
tower;  and  here  is  the  old  hall  in  which  the  first  parliament 
of  the  Dutch  Republic  met. 

At  Delft,  William  continued  to  live,  so  far  as  his  duties 
to  his  country  permitted,  until  his  assassination.  The  King 
of  Spain,  unable,  either  by  the  skill  and  courage  of  his  gen- 
erals, or  by  the  horrible  cruelties  perpetrated  by  his  soldiers, 
to  subdue  the  nation  who  looked  up  to  the  Prince  of  Orange 
as  their  "  Father  William,"  had  recourse  to  the  weapons  of 
the  secret  murderer. 

Delft  looks  kindly  at  her  visitors  whether  you  go  in  sum- 
mer, when  the  trees  in  full  leaf  afford  shady  walks  along 
the  sides  of  the  trim  canals,  or  whether  you  see  it  frost-bound 
in  winter,  the  canals  covered  with  ice  upon  which  the  children 
run  and  skate.  An  easy  and  enjoyable  trip  is  to  run  down 
from  The  Hague  by  train,  entering  the  city  by  The  Hague 
gate.  The  visitor  seems  to  come  into  a  subtler  sympathy 
with  the  old  place  and  its  associations  when  entering  it  after 
a  leisurely  journey  through  the  country  immediately  sur- 
rounding it. 

More,  possibly,  than  in  most  towns,  the  Great  Market  is 
the  centre  of  interest.  It  is  very  spacious,  and  paved  with 
the  narrow  bricks  so  largely  used  in  Holland.  At  one  end 
rises  the  west  front  and  lofty  steeple  of  the  New  Church, 
built  in  the  early  part  of  the  Fifteenth  Century.  Opposite 


I94  HOLLAND 

this,  and  filling  the  west  end  of  the  great  square,  stands  the 
Town  Hall,  the  past  focus  of  an  active  municipal  life,  and 
the  present  home  of  some  interesting  art  treasures.  In  the 
centre  of  the  square  stands  a  fine  statue  of  Hugo  Grotius, 
whose  life  was  full  of  interest. 

Not  far  from  the  market-place,  just  opposite  the  house  of 
William  the  Silent,  stands  the  Old  Church,  rich,  though 
not  to  so  great  an  extent  as  its  neighbour — in  monuments  of 
famous  men.  There  is  commemorated  old  Admiral  Tromp, 
victor  in  no  less  than  thirty-two  sea  battles,  and  who,  after 
defeating  Blake,  ordered  the  famous  broom  to  be  displayed 
at  his  masthead,  as  a  token  that  he  had  swept  his  foes  from 
the  sea;  Piet  Hein,  the  man  who  in  1628  captured  the 
Spanish  silver  fleet,  obtaining  booty  therewith  to  the  value  of 
£1,000,000  sterling;  and  Leeuwenhoek,  the  man  who  seems 
fairly  entitled  to  the  honour  of  having  discovered  the  essen- 
tials of  the  modern  microscope,  and  of  having  employed  it 
for  scientific  purposes. 


ROTTERDAM 

ESTHER  SINGLETON 

IT  frequently  happens  that  Rotterdam  is  the  first  Dutch 
city  visited  by  the  American  or  English  tourists,  espe- 
cially those  who  enter  the  country  of  dykes  and  canals 
by  way  of  the  Hoek  of  Holland.  Taking  the  train  at  the 
landing-stage  of  the  steamer,  one  reaches  Rotterdam  in  about 
half  an  hour. 

As  Amsterdam  has  been  called  the  German  city  of  Holland 
and  The  Hague  the  French,  those  who  are  fond  of  compari- 
sons and  analogies  have  bestowed  upon  Rotterdam  the  com- 
pliment of  being  the  most  English  city  of  the  Netherlands. 
This  is  probably  on  account  of  the  shipping, — the  forests  of 
masts  that  line  the  canals  and  the  general  atmosphere  of 
commerce.  Rotterdam,  indeed,  strikes  the  traveller  as  being 
as  characteristically  Dutch  as  Amsterdam,  Dordrecht  or 
Leyden.  Here  are  found  the  same  grachts  shaded  by  the 
same  trees,  the  same  boats,  the  same  church  steeples,  the  same 
brick  houses  with  white  facings  and  cornices  leaning  out  of 
the  perpendicular  as  if  they  were  trying  to  see  the  still  reflec- 
tions of  themselves  in  the  dull,  sluggish  waters,  the  same 
workmen  in  blue  blouses,  the  same  peasants  in  their  shining 
helmet  head-dresses,  and,  alas!  the  same  dogs  dragging  carts 
of  milk  or  vegetables  over  the  small  rounded  cobble-stones. 

What  is  there  then  that  suggests  an  English  city  unless  it 
be  the  life  among  the  boats  anchored  at  the  quays  and  resting 

195 


196  HOLLAND 

in  the  harbours,  in  which  district  there  are  several  hotels 
bearing  English  names,  and  where,  of  course,  English  is 
spoken  ? 

I  confess  that  this  is  Rotterdam's  most  attractive  spot  to 
me,  and  I  am  not  alone  in  this  choice.  Far  more  interesting 
than  the  Park  that  lies  on  the  bank  of  the  Maas  commanding 
a  fine  view  of  the  gay  river,  is  the  famous  quay  called  the 
Boompjes,  shaded  by  fine  trees  and  extending  along  the  river 
front.  Most  of  the  large  passenger  steamers  dock  and  start 
from  the  Boompjes,  and  the  landing  and  departing  of  trav- 
ellers adds  to  the  gaiety  of  the  scene.  The  end  of  the 
Boompjes  is  marked  by  two  large  bridges  over  the  Maas — 
to  the  island  called  Noordereiland — one  a  railway  bridge, 
and  the  other  Willemsbrug  for  foot  passengers  and  carriages. 
On  the  other  side  of  Noordereiland,  the  flowing  Maas  is 
known  as  the  Konigshaven,  also  crossed  by  bridges  leading 
to  the  island  of  Feyenoord,  upon  which  are  two  immense 
harbours — the  Binnen-Haven  and  the  Spoorweg-Haven — 
that  afford  hospitality  to  numerous  ocean  liners  and  large 
ships  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  Yet  these  are  not  the  only 
harbours  on  this  side  of  the  Maas ;  the  Rijnhaven,  the  Maas- 
haven,  the  Dockhaven,  etc.,  line  the  river's  edge.  The 
Boompjes  also  lies  in  a  network  of  quays  and  harbours.  On 
its  right  is  Willemskade;  on  its  left,  the  Oosverkade,  while 
directly  behind  is  the  large  Scheepmakers  Haven,  and  behind 
this  again  the  Wijnhaven,  and  Blaak,  on  whose  right  the 
famous  Leuvehaven  lies;  and  not  far  away  on  the  one  side 
are  Nieuwehaven,  Oudehaven  and  the  Haringvliet,  where 
the  herring-boats  congregate;  and  on  the  other,  Zalmhaven 


i97 

and  Westerhaven.  Imagine  these  large  canals  filled  with 
boats  and  ships  of  every  size  and  hue  and  kind,  and  you  will 
not  be  surprised  if  the  traveller  lingers  in  this  part  of  Rotter- 
dam. On  the  quays  and  bridges  many  loiterers  delight  in 
watching  the  coming  and  going  of  the  boats  and  ships,  their 
loading  and  unloading,  the  opening  and  closing  of  the  draw- 
bridges, the  filling  and  emptying  of  the  locks,  and  all  the 
strange  types  of  native  and  foreign  seamen  that  congregate 
in  this  part  of  Rotterdam.  The  little  hotels  and  restaurants 
are  filled  with  strangers  talking  over  their  dishes  or  drinks 
in  many  different  tongues  and  watching  from  the  windows 
the  slow  passage  of  a  canal  boat  or  the  swifter  barge  with 
sails  bringing  cheeses  or  other  produce  to  the  steps  of  the 
warehouses. 

It  is  pleasant  to  wander  aimlessly  along  the  canals.  A 
stroll  down  the  Leuvehaven  will  bring  you  to  the  Fish- 
market,  where  men  and  women  in  quaint  costumes  offer  for 
sale  all  sorts  of  fish  from  both  North  Sea  and  rivers  in  round 
and  flat  baskets.  Not  far  away  is  the  Flower-market. 

Walking  in  a  direct  line  from  the  Fish-market  you  come 
to  the  street  called  Glashaven,  where  the  art  dealers  congre- 
gate, and  where  porcelain,  old  furniture  and  brass  articles 
tempt  the  traveller.  Another  street  that  the  tourist  never 
fails  to  enjoy  is  Hoogstraat,  the  "  high-street,"  on  an  embank- 
ment built  to  protect  Rotterdam  from  inundations.  This 
cuts  through  the  city  in  a  straight  line  and  is  one  of  the 
liveliest  streets  in  Rotterdam.  It  contains  shops,  hotels  and 
cafes  and  is  bright  and  gay  until  the  early  hours  of  the  morn- 
ing. Favourite  cafes  are  also  found  in  the  Korte  Hoog- 


198  HOLLAND 

Straat,  which  cuts  through  the  Hoog-Straat  near  the  arcade 
known  as  the  Passage,  built  in  1879,  leading  to  the  Coolvest. 

The  only  two  buildings  that  the  traveller  is  likely  to  visit 
are  the  Groote  Kerk,  or  Church  of  St.  Lawrence,  a  Gothic 
edifice  of  the  Fifteenth  Century,  and  the  Boymans  Museum, 
on  the  Schiedamsche  Dyk.  This  gallery  contains  a  fine 
collection  of  paintings  of  ancient  and  modern  Dutch  masters. 

Rotterdam  also  boasts  of  a  fine  Zoological  and  Botanical 
Garden,  situated  near  the  old  Delft  Gate. 


DORDRECHT 

SIR   WALTER  ARMSTRONG 

THOSE  who  go  to  Holland  for  the  first  time  should 
commence  with  Dordrecht,  for  the  characteristics 
of  the  country  are  summed  up  in  it  as  they  are  in 
no  other  town ;  and  they  should  go  there  by  the  Maas,  which 
is  simply  the  tidal  Rhine.  You  arrive  at  Rotterdam  from 
Harwich  in  good  time  for  breakfast.  Directly  afterwards 
you  can  go  on  board  the  boat,  which  starts  from  near  the 
Rhine  Railway  terminus,  and  in  about  two  hours  you  are 
at  your  destination.  The  arm  of  the  Maas  navigated  by  the 
steamers  is  about  as  wide  as  the  Thames  at  Putney.  You 
stop  continually  at  little  wayside  piers,  and  you  have,  as  a 
rule,  to  dance  a  sort  of  chasse  croise  with  the  fleets  of  sailing 
barges  making  their  way  to  Rotterdam.  When  you  have 
gone  eight  or  ten  miles,  you  will  see,  rising  over  the  flats  to 
your  right,  a  square  mass,  in  which,  if  you  are  a  student  of 
pictures,  you  will  recognise  a  friend.  The  church  tower  of 
Dordrecht  is  apparently  unchanged  since  the  days  of  Cuyp. 
Its  simple  lines  are  still  crowned  with  the  four  dials  in  their 
clumsy  frames,  and  the  brick  buttresses  below  are  just  as 
they  were  left  by  the  vicissitudes  of  the  Spanish  occupation. 
Half  an  hour  after  you  first  catch  sight  of  this  landmark,  the 
channel  you  are  following  suddenly  opens  almost  at  right 
angles  into  one  much  wider.  On  the  farther  side,  lying  low 
upon  the  water,  Dort  appears  embosomed  in  trees.  A  dome 

199 


200  HOLLAND 

of  emerald  copper,  the  church  tower,  a  few  gigantic  wind- 
mills, and  the  masts  of  shipping  rise  above  the  roofs ;  but  the 
whole  seems  dwarfed  by  the  huge  bowstring  girders  of  the 
railway  bridge  on  the  right.  This  bridge,  with  its  sister  at 
Rotterdam  and  its  big  brother  over  the  Hollandsche  Diep, 
is  a  great  deal  less  hideous  than  most  iron  viaducts,  but  its 
size  knocks  everything  out  of  scale.  We  feel  we  have  de- 
parted from  a  disagreeable  companion  when  we  get  out  of 
its  sight.  The  steamer  threads  its  way  across  the  wide, 
ship-dotted  channel  and  comes  to  beneath  the  copper  dome. 
The  bell  rings,  and  you  land  among  a  crowd  of  thin,  wide- 
trousered,  silk-capped  men,  and  of  women  with  the  flowing 
caps  and  improbable  corkscrew  defences  of  the  South  Hol- 
lander. The  best  hotel  in  Dort  is  just  before  you,  and  after 
you  have  taken  a  room  and  deposited  your  bag  you  can  sally 
out  into  streets  as  paintable  as  the  Venetian  canals. 

Dordrecht  has  two  long  sinuous  streets — one  runs  from 
the  quay  to  the  station,  the  other  from  the  quay  to  the 
church.  T^he  chief  difference  between  them  and  a  street  at 
The  Hague,  for  instance,  lies  in  the  rarity  of  vehicles.  Along 
one  a  tramcar  jingles  every  twenty  minutes  or  so ;  along  the 
other  nothing  passes  except  hand-carts,  and  now  and  then 
a  wedding  or  a  funeral.  The  rest  of  the  town  is  all  bridges 
and  grachts,  with  their  lining  quays.  The  population  on  the 
water  must  be  almost  as  dense  as  in  the  houses.  The  inner 
harbours  are  connected  with  each  other  and  with  the  longer 
canals  by  frequent  short  channels,  the  whole  is  crowded  with 
every  sort  of  canal  and  river  craft.  Ever  since  the  Middle 
Ages,  Dordrecht  has  flourished.  Thanks  to  her  easy  com- 


DORDRECHT  201 

mumcatfon  with  the  sea,  with  Holland  and  Belgium,  and 
with  all  the  countries  served  by  the  Rhine,  she  has  been  a 
point  of  collection  for  timber  from  the  Black  Forest,  for  wines 
from  the  Rhine,  for  the  manufactures  of  every  city  to  be 
reached  by  the  multitudinous  arms  of  the  Maas.  And  so 
her  quays  are  scenes  of  never-ending  bustle.  Nothing  in 
Europe  is  more  picturesque  than  the  view  south-westwards 
across  the  harbour  which  lies  in  her  bosom.  This  should  be 
enjoyed  twice  in  the  day.  You  should  go  there  at  high 
noon,  when  the  sun  is  beating  down — not  from  a  cloudless 
sky — on  the  gaily-painted  barges  and  the  swarms  of  people 
busied  about  them ;  on  the  cooks  who  chaffer  at  the  gunwales 
of  the  floating  shops;  on  the  porters  unloading  the  gigantic 
lighters  which  have  been  crawling  hither,  perhaps  for  months, 
from  the  other  end  of  France ;  on  the  sparkling  line  of  water, 
which  is  all  we  see  of  the  harbour  itself;  on  the  low  houses, 
each  with  its  crane  and  its  gaping  grenier  above,  and  its 
housewife  washing  or  knitting  below ;  on  the  circle  of  grate- 
ful trees;  and  on  the  great  church  at  the  end,  rising  high- 
shouldered  against  the  sky,  like  a  watchful  mother. 

Under  the  sun  all  this  gives  an  extraordinary  picture  of 
gaiety  and  life;  but  the  scene  is  even  more  fascinating  when 
the  dusk  comes  on.  In  colour  lies  the  supreme  charm  of 
Dort;  and  colour  does  not  tell  as  colour  while  the  sun  is 
still  high  above  the  horizon.  It  is  afterwards,  when  the 
last  rays  are  just  gilding  the  tower  of  the  Groote  Kerk,  that 
the  red  roofs,  the  groups  of  tawny  sails,  the  patches  of  sombre 
scarlet  where  sailors'  undergarments  hang  out  to  dry,  the 
green  sides  of  the  barges  with  their  gay  top-hamper,  the 


202  HOLLAND 

brilliant  notes  of  brass,  the  dark  verdure  of  the  trees,  and 
the  backgrounds  of  weather-beaten,  purple  brick,  put  on  a 
deep  transparency  and  sing  together  in  a  rich  symphony  of 
colour. 

Some  of  the  houses  in  Dordrecht  tempt  fortune  most 
extravagantly  in  their  dealings  with  their  own  centre  of 
gravity.  It  is  quite  common  to  see  an  ordinary  house  three 
feet  out  of  the  perpendicular.  Just  behind  the  hotel  there 
are  two  which  show  a  dislocation  of  more  than  a  yard  at 
the  top,  measured  by  newer  buildings  beside  them.  Such  an 
appearance  reminds  one  of  the  legend  which  declares  that 
when  the  Maas  burst  its  dykes  on  the  night  of  the  i8th  of 
November,  1421,  the  city  was  carried  en  bloc  from  its  site, 
and  that  the  neighbours  had  some  trouble  in  finding  it  next 
morning!  The  curious  situation  of  the  town  is  due  to  this 
same  flood.  It  lies  at  the  northern  apex  of  a  triangular 
island,  surrounded  by  the  arms  of  the  Maas,  and  is  the 
capital  of  an  archipelago  called  the  Biesbosch. 

Some  of  the  Dort  waterways  are  very  like  a  Venetian 
canal.  One  such  long  water-street  leads  from  the  centre 
of  the  town  up  to  the  church.  Houses  back  on  to  it  on 
either  side,  the  water  laps  against  their  walls,  and  the  trades- 
men deliver  their  wares  from  boats,  just  as  they  do  in  Venice. 
Here  and  there  a  bridge  leads  from  a  lane  on  the  one  hand 
to  a  twin  lane  opposite,  and  gives  a  point  of  view.  Here, 
again,  the  charm  lies  almost  entirely  in  colour.  Coat  these 
purple  houses  with  their  bright  roofs,  their  gay  shutters  and 
balustrades  in  the  soot  of  Manchester,  and  you  will  have 
something  hardly  more  picturesque  than  the  Irwell. 


DORDRECHT  203 

The  edges  of  Dort  have  a  charm  of  a  different  kind.  In 
the  summer  evenings  a  military  band  plays  at  the  railway 
station  and  there  the  people  promenade.  All  round  the  city, 
on  the  line  of  the  old  enceinte,  runs  a  grove — a  sinuous  band 
of  trees,  with  a  ditch  on  either  side.  Little  bridges  are 
thrown  across  the  waters  at  every  few  yards,  and  each  bridge 
leads  up  to  some  coquettish  retreat  with  a  fancy  name — 
" Mijn  Lust"  " Alwijsheid,"  " Als  Ikh  Kan,"  are  among 
those  I  remember — painted  over  the  door.  Now  and  then 
a  gigantic  windmill — for  sawing  wood,  as  a  rule — breaks 
into  the  row,  a  relic  of  the  day  when  the  city  rampart  still 
stood  high  above  the  plain.  As  you  near  the  Maas  the  mills 
become  more  frequent  and  the  houses  humbler  until  you 
debouch  on  the  tail  end  of  the  quay,  where  little  wooden 
shops  face  the  water  and  the  people  about  have  the  listless 
roll  and  the  lack-lustre  eye  of  the  seaman  ashore. 

It  is  the  birthplace  of  Albert  Cuyp.  He  lived  chiefly  at  a 
maison  de  campagne — we  would  not  call  it  a  country  house — 
on  the  outskirts,  called  "  Dordwijk."  He  is  supposed  to 
have  painted  only  as  an  amateur,  and  to  have  been  by  trade 
a  brewer.  His  forerunner  and  exemplar  was  Jan  Van 
Goyen,  whose  frequent  choice  of  Dordrecht  as  a  subject 
proves  the  two  men  to  have  had  many  opportunities  of  meet- 
ing and  of  affecting  each  other's  work.  The  tower  of  Dord- 
recht appears  in  countless  Cuyps  and  Van  Goyens,  so  do 
various  bits  still  to  be  identified  in  the  neighbourhood,  such 
as  the  ruins  of  the  tower  of  Merwede.  Cuyp  died  in  1691 
and  was  buried  in  the  Groote  Kerk. 


BREDA  AND  S' HERTOGENBOSCH 

HENRY  HA  VARD 

WE  directed  our  steps  towards  Breda,  a  very 
curious  town,  and  one  of  the  most  important 
in  the  country.  The  land  through  which  the 
road  from  Rosendaal  to  Breda  lies  is  varied,  rich  and  well- 
cultivated;  but  it  has  not  the  extraordinary  fertility,  the 
"  fatness "  of  the  soil  of  Walcheren  and  Zuid  Beveland. 
Here  and  there  patches  of  moorland  and  bracken  mingle  their 
sombre  tints  with  the  golden  hues  of  the  harvest  and  alter- 
nate with  the  wonderful  greensward  of  the  vast  fields.  This 
land,  such  as  we  saw  it,  with  its  varieties  of  soil,  which  give 
it  a  certain  picturesque  effect,  is  famous  of  old.  It  was  held, 
with  its  woods  and  fields,  to  be  one  of  the  fairest  seigneuries 
in  all  the  Low  Countries.  It  belonged  to  the  "  Kampen" 
but  to  that  part  of  it  which  was  the  most  fertile  and  suit- 
able for  agricultural  purposes.  The  old  writers  are  very 
emphatic  on  the  subject.  "  Prince  Maurice,"  says  Blaeu, 
"  calls  it  his  Tempe,"  and  the  celebrated  geographer  enumer- 
ates with  delight,  "  its  fields,  which  are  throughout  all  its 
extent  of  an  admirable  fertility,  its  meadows,  which  are 
eternally  green,  the  fair  avenues  of  old  trees,  which,  dis- 
posed in  right  lines  or  in  quincunces,  bordered  the  roads, 
and  led  to  all  the  surrounding  residences,  as  well  as  the 
forests  of  oak  and  of  pine  which  rear  their  heads  in  its 
neighbourhood." 

204 


BREDA— S'HERTOGENBOSCH     205 

A  century  earlier,  Meteren,  who  was  generally  little 
given  to  description  or  accessible  to  the  delights  of  landscape, 
spoke  of  Breda  in  similar  detail.  "  It  is  situated  in  the 
Kampen,"  said  he,  "  in  a  flat  country,  where  there  are  good 
arable  lands,  with  fair  meadows  and  woody  places."  Add 
to  these  meadows  and  these  woods  two  rivers,  which,  after 
having  bathed  the  country  and  watered  the  fields  and  the 
plantations,  come  into  conjunction  under  the  very  walls  of 
the  city  and  give  it  its  name.  Breda  is  derived  from  Breed, 
which  means  "  broad,"  and  from  Aar,  the  name  of  one  of 
these  watercourses,  which  is  enlarged  at  this  place  by  its 
confluence  with  the  Mark. 

The  special  favour  with  which  the  family  of  Nassau 
always  regarded  their  good  city  of  Breda  is  satisfactorily 
proved  by  the  especial  care  with  which  they  embellished  it. 
Its  superb  church,  which  is  not  only  one  of  the  largest,  but 
also  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  the  country,  was,  if  not 
completely  built,  at  least  finished,  by  Engelbrecht  of  Nassau, 
who  erected  the  choir.  The  palace  of  the  governor — we  can 
still  distinguish  the  arms  of  Nassau  allied  with  those  of 
Merode  over  its  gate — was  built  by  Justin,  the  bastard  son 
of  William  the  Silent,  and  Governor  of  Breda,  between 
1606  and  1625. 

The  Vleeschal,  or  meat  market,  belongs  to  the  same 
period.  Lastly,  the  Castle  of  Breda,  which  may  be  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  purest,  most  correct,  and  most  com- 
plete monuments  produced  by  the  Renaissance  in  these  coun- 
tries; that  Castle  which  Guicciardini,  of  classic  taste,  did 
not  hesitate  to  call  "  one  of  the  most  beautiful  constructions 


2o6  HOLLAND 

in  all  the  Low  Countries,"  is  the  work  of  Count  Henry  of 
Nassau. 

In  the  Sixteenth  Century,  an  epoch  of  great  taste,  this 
elegant  structure  enjoyed  a  well-deserved  celebrity.  "  The 
Count  Henry,  who  was  a  brave  lord,"  says  Meteren, 
"  caused  a  new  palace  to  be  built,  with  a  court,  all  sur- 
rounded with  water,  with  galleries  founded  upon  pillars 
of  freestone,  and  a  gilded  frontispiece,"  and  he  adds,  "  there 
were  in  this  place  many  fair  chambers  and  a  long  hall 
raised  upon  pillars,  with  a  very  fine  stair,  the  whole  made 
of  freestone,  and  by  very  good  masters." 

At  that  epoch,  however,  the  edifice  was  not  so  near  com- 
pletion as  that  it  might  be  judged  of  as  a  whole.  It  was  not 
until  1690,  when  William  III.  ascended  the  throne  of  Eng- 
land, that  the  two  wings  were  finished;  but  that  Prince, 
who  was  a  man  of  tact  and  taste,  directed  Romans,  the 
architect,  charged  with  this  supplementary  task,  to  carry 
it  out  in  exact  conformity  with  the  plans  of  the  Italian  archi- 
tect, Bologna,  who  had  conceived  the  original  plan,  and 
commenced  its  realisation.  Thanks  to  this  precaution,  the 
Castle  of  Breda  has  preserved  its  primitive  character;  and 
although  it  has  not  remained  intact  down  to  our  day,  still 
it  is,  at  the  present  time,  one  of  the  best  preserved  specimens 
of  architecture  left  by  the  Italian  Renaissance. 

Its  general  plan  consists  of  a  vast  parallelogram  built  of 
brick  and  flanked  at  each  angle  by  octagon  towers.  The  in- 
terior of  the  court  is  arranged  in  the  Milanese  fashion,  with 
arcades  resting  upon  columns,  with  Tuscan  capitals.  In 
the  tympanum  of  each  arch  is  carved  a  medallion,  represent- 


BREDA— S'HERTOGENBOSCH     207 

ing  a  great  personage  of  ancient  history;  and  this  great 
cloister,  elegant  in  form  and  noble  in  style,  is  built  of 
freestone,  as  Meteren  tells  us.  The  great  hall,  "  founded 
upon  pillars,"  of  which  the  old  annalist  speaks,  still  exists, 
and  serves  as  a  refectory;  for,  after  having  been  a  dwelling 
for  princes,  after  having  afforded  a  retreat  to  Mary  of 
England,  the  widow  of  William  II.,  and  sheltered  Charles 
II.  of  England,  in  his  exile,  this  historic  pile  has  become  a 
military  school. 

It  was  regarded  by  the  French  army,  in  1795,  as  the  prop- 
erty of  the  Orange  family,  and,  having  been  confiscated  by 
the  Republic,  was  converted  at  first  into  a  barrack,  and 
afterwards  into  a  hospital.  Great  damage  was  inflicted 
upon  it,  the  splendid  furniture  was  almost  entirely  de- 
stroyed, magnificent  tapestries  in  silk  and  gold,  represent- 
ing the  Counts  and  Countesses  of  Nassau,  the  Seigneurs  and 
Dames  of  Breda,  all  on  horseback,  and  of  life  size,  were 
torn  down,  rolled  up,  despatched  to  The  Hague,  and  sold 
at  a  very  low  price!  This  deplorable  change  in  its  destiny 
lasted,  to  the  great  detriment  of  the  edifice,  until  1814,  at 
which  epoch  the  palace  once  more  came  into  the  possession 
of  the  house  of  Nassau. 

William  I.  made  no  effort  to  restore  its  pristine  splendour 
to  the  Castle  of  Breda.  He  did  not  wish  to  make  it  a  royal 
residence;  by  the  pleasure  of  its  legitimate  master,  this 
sumptuous  dwelling  became  the  Dutch  Saint-Cyr,  and  at 
the  present  day  its  galleries,  its  porticos  and  its  courts  are 
occupied  by  cadets  of  the  army  of  the  Netherlands. 

The  capital  of  the  ancient  barony  is  a  handsome,  airy,  cosy, 


2o8  HOLLAND 

well-built  town,  but  the  artist  and  the  archaeologist  find  lit- 
tle in  it  to  reward  their  researches.  The  visitor  may  rest 
awhile  with  pleasure  under  the  shade  of  the  fine  trees  in 
its  superb  public  garden,  stroll  about  its  clean  bright  streets, 
and  observe  the  features  of  its  market-place.  But  it  has 
no  buildings  except  the  Church  to  attract  the  attention,  for 
the  Stadhuis,  built  in  1534,  was  completely  rebuilt  at  the 
end  of  the  last  century,  and  there  is  nothing  remarkable 
in  the  interior  of  it,  with  the  exception  of  some  portraits  by 
Mytens,  Baan  and  Honthorst. 

On  leaving  Breda,  our  route  lay  clear  before  us.  We  had 
still  to  visit  Bois-le-Duc,  after  which  our  excursion  would 
be  near  its  close.  The  railway  carried  us  towards  the  former 
capital  of  the  Duchy  of  Brabant,  but  on  the  way  thither  we 
wished  to  have  a  look  at  Tilburg.  This  town,  which  is 
quite  modern,  little  known,  and  in  no  wise  celebrated,  would 
not  occupy  any  place  at  all  among  the  notable  localities  of 
the  Low  Countries,  but  for  the  melancholy  recollection  which 
attaches  to  its  name;  I  allude  to  the  death  of  William  II. 
It  does  not  take  more  than  an  hour  to  see  Tilburg  through- 
out all  its  length  and  breadth.  To  say  this  is  to  imply 
that  it  is  a  small  place;  and,  indeed,  Tilburg  looks  less 
like  a  town  than  a  big  village  with  wide  streets,  low  houses, 
gardens  jammed  in  between  the  houses,  and  honest  folk 
standing  in  the  doorways  looking  curiously  at  the  rare 
passers-by  who  disturb  the  tranquil  scene. 

If  Tilburg  be  like  a  village,  Bois-le-Duc  is  like  a  large 
town.  I  have  just  said  that  it  was  formerly  one  of  the  four 
capital  cities  of  the  Duchy  of  Brabant,  and  never,  to  my 


BREDA— S'HERTOGENBOSCH     209 

knowledge,  had  a  town  of  twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants 
more  of  the  air  and  aspect  of  a  capital.  Its  streets  are  long 
and  wide,  its  houses  are  large  and  handsome,  its  public 
squares  are  spacious,  airy,  well-paved  and  very  clean.  Its 
old  buildings,  appearing  here  and  there,  testify  to  an  existence 
of  several  centuries,  and  indeed  we  know  that  the  importance 
of  Bois-le-Duc  is  a  fact  of  ancient  date,  though  the  place 
is  not  of  exceptional  antiquity. 

In  the  Twelfth  Century,  the  territory  which  it  occupies 
and  the  country  that  surrounds  it,  were  completely  covered 
with  forests.  As  the  Dukes  of  Brabant  came  thither  regu- 
larly to  hunt,  the  great  wood  became  known  as  Silva  Duds 
— "  the  forest  of  the  Duke."  But  the  people  of  Guelders 
came  there  also,  and  turned  its  dark  recesses  into  dens  of 
robbers  and  cut-purses,  making  excursions  from  thence  into 
the  surrounding  country,  and  returning  to  the  recesses  of 
the  forest  with  entire  impunity.  It  was  to  put  an  end  to 
the  depredations  of  these  dangerous  marauders  that,  in  1 1 84, 
Duke  Godfrey  had  a  portion  of  the  ducal  forest  cleared, 
and  that,  in  1196,  his  son,  Duke  Henry,  had  a  castle  built, 
in  order  to  keep  a  watch  on  and  to  overcome  his  troublesome 
neighbours.  Dwellings  accumulated  around  the  castle,  and 
the  budding  city  took  the  name  of  the  forest  in  which  its 
first  foundations  were  laid.  Such  was  the  origin  of  that 
"  city  which  held  the  fourth  place  among  the  four  capital 
towns  of  Brabant,  and  which  is  called  in  Dutch  S'Hertogen- 
Losch,  in  Latin  Silva  Ducis,  and  in  French  Bois-le-Duc — 
appellations  differing  in  form,  but  all  bearing  the  same 
signification." 


210  HOLLAND 

Never  did  a  town  increase  and  acquire  importance  of  the 
first  order  more  rapidly.  The  prince  had  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  this  quick-growing  greatness;  he  had  given  the 
impulse;  the  inhabitants  did  the  rest.  In  less  than  a  century 
the  castle  was  surrounded  by  a  town  which  seemed  to  have 
sprung  from  the  earth;  and  soon  transformed  itself  into 
an  opulent  city.  The  part  which  it  played  in  the  politics 
of  the  country  became  defined;  by  its  rapid  advance  it  won 
the  title  and  the  prerogatives  of  a  capital,  and  in  1453,  it 
had  almost  attained  its  utmost  development. 

The  fortune  of  war  is  a  fickle  fortune.  In  1629,  Fred- 
erick Henry  took  S'Hertogenbosch,  after  a  siege  which  will 
remain  for  ever  celebrated  among  sieges,  and  at  which  the 
King  and  Queen  of  Bohemia  and  the  Dukes  of  Wittemberg 
and  Holstein  were  present.  The  capitulation  was  signed 
on  the  1 4th  of  December;  and,  two  days  afterwards,  Count 
Grobbendonk,  governor  of  the  city,  vacated  it  with  the  whole 
of  his  garrison,  the  Catholic  authorities,  the  Bishop  and 
clergy,  the  occupants  of  the  convents,  and  a  number  of  citi- 
zens who  were  too  seriously  compromised,  or  who  refused 
to  submit  to  the  new  rulers.  Bois-le-Duc  was  thenceforth 
placed  under  the  authority  of  the  States;  its  territory  was 
annexed  to  the  United  Provinces,  and  its  churches  were 
handed  over  to  the  Calvinists.  But  although  the  population 
had  been  subdued,  it  remained  unsubmissive,  and,  above  all, 
unconverted.  The  city  was  immutably  faithful  to  its  faith 
and  its  traditions.  Bois-le-Duc  and  its  Mayoralty  were 
still  fervently  Catholic.  As  it  was  then,  so  it  is  now ;  through 
all  its  vicissitudes  Bois-le-Duc  has  preserved  its  faith  intact. 


BREDA— S'HERTOGEXBOSCH      2 1 1 

The  great  church  of  Bois-le-Duc  is  certainly  the  finest 
Gothic  building  in  all  the  Netherlands.  It  belongs  to  the 
ogival  period,  bordering  on  the  flamboyant.  Its  decoration 
is  of  extraordinary  richness,  but  yet  it  does  not  fall  into  the 
exaggeration  which  injures  the  purity  of  line  and  spoils  the 
beauty  of  so  many  buildings  in  our  country,  by,  what  I  may 
call  lapidary  vegetation.  In  the  Northern  countries  examples 
of  the  really  flamboyant  style  are  rare;  architecture  was  so 
much  behind  hand  there,  that  the  Renaissance  had  mani- 
fested itself  before  Gothic  efflorescence  had  reached  its 
apogee.  This  explains  how  it  happened  that  the  Church  of 
St.  John,  although  belonging  to  the  Fifteenth  Century,  was 
saved  from  the  overprofusion  of  ornament  with  which  it  was 
threatened. 

The  vaulted  roof  of  the  nave  rises  to  a  superb  height, 
supported  by  thirty-two  elegant  pillars.  A  remarkable  tri- 
forium,  pierced  and  trilobed,  rises  above  the  arcades,  and 
augments  the  grace  of  this  magnificent  "  ship."  The  choir 
is  majestic  in  the  extreme.  In  addition  to  these  artistic 
beauties,  there  is  a  justly  celebrated  baptistery  in  gilded 
bronze,  and  a  pulpit  and  other  wood  carvings  in  very  good 
style,  although  much  more  modern.  Altogether,  the  church 
of  Bois-le-Duc  is  worthy  in  every  respect  of  its  great 
reputation. 

Unfortunately,  there  is  a  reverse  to  the  medal.  This 
church,  so  elegant  of  form  and  so  rich  in  ornament,  is  built 
of  bad  materials.  So  faulty  is  the  stone  used  in  its  construc- 
tion that  it  crumbles  under  the  action  of  rain,  and  is  blown 
away  in  dust  by  that  of  the  wind.  At  the  present  day  the 


212  HOLLAND 

old  building,  after  long  suffering  from  those  inevitable  ills, 
would  no  longer  present  the  form  of  a  monument,  had  not 
pious  hands  repaired  it,  tending  its  wounds  with  admiring 
love  of  which  it  is  well  worthy.  Nor  has  the  State,  on  its 
side,  been  grudging  of  its  grants  for  the  same  worthy 
purpose. 

Judging  by  the  old  streets  of  the  city,  Gothic  buildings 
must  have  been  very  numerous  in  the  ancient  Silva  Duds. 
At  present  they  are  rare,  and  the  Church  of  St.  John  is 
so  vastly  superior  to  the  others  which  still  remain,  that  it 
is  almost  unbecoming  to  mention  them.  I  prefer  to  conduct 
you  immediately  to  the  Stadhuis;  built  in  1620 — not,  indeed, 
that  its  architecture  is  attractive,  for  the  building  is  of  grey 
stone,  and  is  massive  and  heavy — but  because  the  interior 
contains  certain  precious  objects  well  deserving  of  attention. 

In  the  first  place,  there  are  the  archives,  very  full,  com- 
plete, well-arranged,  and  containing,  in  addition  to  a  great 
number  of  valuable  maps,  catalogued  registers  and  daybooks 
from  A.  D.  1300  down.  Then  there  is  a  collection  of  seals 
coming  down  from  1295  to  the  present  time,  and  compris- 
ing four -hundred  and  ninety-seven  specimens,  which  pass 
from  the  Roman  to  the  Gothic,  and  from  that  to  the  con- 
temporary style.  To  these  succeed  the  drinking-cups  of  the 
Guilds,  the  insignia  of  the  public  functionaries  and  ancient 
arms.  Among  the  latter  is  a  small  culverin,  which  belonged 
to  Count  Egmont.  At  a  little  distance  from  this  assortment 
we  find  a  number  of  instruments  of  punishment  and  torture 
— one  is  a  sort  of  wooden  sentry-box,  all  covered  with  carv- 
ings representing  lizards,  toads,  and  serpents,  in  which 


BREDA— S'HERTOGEXBOSCH     2 1  3 

women  of  infamous  character  were  shut  up.  The  collection 
of  collars,  knives,  pincers,  vices,  hatchets,  and  branding-irons 
is  very  complete;  in  fact,  it  extends  from  the  rack  to  the 
guillotine. 

There  is  also  a  small  collection  of  pictures,  allegories  by 
Van  Thulden,  portraits  of  the  family  of  Orange,  a  view  of 
the  Stadhuis  by  Beerstraaten ;  the  only  statue  that  was 
saved,  when,  in  1566,  the  Iconoclasts  sacked  the  Church  of 
St.  John;  and,  lastly,  a  room  hung  with  the  famous  old 
green  tapestries  of  Flanders. 

This  public  collection  is  not  the  only  one  at  Bois-le-Duc; 
hard  by  there  is  another,  no  less  well  arranged,  with  a  large 
and  select  library,  medals,  prehistoric  vases,  Roman  lamps, 
mediaeval  pottery,  glass  and  earthenware,  Indian  arms,  ban- 
ners of  the  Confraternities,  the  badges  of  the  Guilds,  and  a 
few  pictures  relating  to  the  history  of  Bois-le-Duc.  In 
this  collection  we  find  a  "  plaque  "  in  old  Delft  ware,  rep- 
resenting the  famous  combat  of  Breate  and  Lekkerbek,  a 
legendary  battle,  or  heroic  duel  in  which  twenty-one  French- 
men fought  twenty-one  Flemings.  A  stratagem  secured  the 
victory  to  the  latter;  they  cut  the  bridles  of  their  adversaries' 
horses,  and  the  Frenchmen  being  unable  to  manage  their 
steeds,  were  defeated. 

It  was  in  1600,  and  on  the  heath  of  Vucht,  not  far  from 
Bois-le-Duc,  that  this  famous  encounter  took  place.  I  might 
take  you  to  Vucht,  a  pretty  village,  about  a  league  from 
the  great  Brabant  city,  with  the  purpose  of  showing  you,  not 
the  celebrated  field  of  battle,  but  an  infinitely  more  pleasing 
picture:  a  bouquet  of  living  flowers,  a  group  of  young  beau- 


214  HOLLAND 

ties,  composing  the  most  amiable  and  cheery  family  you  could 
ever  wish  to  see.  I  might  also  take  you  to  one  of  the  neigh- 
bouring Castles,  and  show  you  an  entire  museum  of  curios- 
ities, with  which  the  feudal  dwelling  is  furnished  from  top  to 
bottom,  filling  the  rooms,  blocking  up  the  corridors,  encum- 
bering the  staircases,  invading  even  the  outer  walls.  Again, 
without  quitting  Bois-le-Duc,  I  might  introduce  you  into  the 
sanctuary  of  the  most  venerable  Confraternity  in  all  the 
province,  the  Illustre  lieve  Vrouwe  Braederschap,  or  "  Illus- 
trious Confraternity  of  Our  Lady,"  let  you  see  its  old  house, 
admirably  restored  in  the  antique  style,  and  its  registers, 
which  are,  so  to  speak,  the  Libra  d'Oro,  of  the  ancient  Silva 
Duds.  But  this  cannot  be ;  the  clock  has  struck  the  hour  for 
retiring.  We  must  resume  our  homeward  way;  as  our 
French  saying  has  it,  "Adieu,  paniers!  les  vendanges  sont 
faites"  The  train  is  alongside  the  platform  and  waits  for 
nobody.  Let  us  take  a  last  look  at  the  city,  a  last  glance 
into  the  distance,  at  the  vast  polders  that  surround  it,  and 
which,  as  they  could  be  flooded  at  will,  formerly  rendered 
Bois-le-Duc  impregnable.  Let  us  salute  Zalt  Bommel,  with 
its  fine  church  and  its  Gothic  steeple,  as  we  pass ;  let  us  cross 
the  Waal  and  the  Rijn.  Afar,  a  great  tower  comes  in  sight, 
its  lofty  pierced  spire  shows  clear  against  the  sky.  This  is 
Utrecht,  and  we  have  reached  our  journey's  end. 


LIFE  ON  <THE  WATER 

ALPHONSE   ESQUIROS 

THERE  is  in  Holland  a  life  unknown  elsewhere, 
or  at  least  but  badly  known;  it  is  the  life  on  the 
water.  You  must  visit  this  country  to  compre- 
hend the  touching  melancholy  of  the  Splritus  Dei  ferebatur 
super  aquas.  Still,  what  floats  on  the  waters  is  probably 
less  the  Spirit  of  God  than  of  man,  for  in  the  Netherlands 
you  are  incessantly  recalled  to  the  feeling  of  reality.  At 
all  the  spots  where  nature  had  forgotten  to  place  rivers  or 
streams,  Dutch  industry  has  made  canals.  These  waterways 
lead  not  merely  from  one  town  to  another,  but  even  to 
each  village,  we  might  almost  say  to  each  country  house; 
hence,  such  an  arterial  system  could  not  fail  to  be  mar- 
vellously favourable  to  the  circulation  of  produce.  An  Eng- 
lish traveller  asked  himself,  two  centuries  back,  whether  there 
were  not  more  people  in  Holland  living  on  the  water  than 
on  the  land.  As  the  majority  of  these  canals  are  higher  than 
the  adjoining  fields,  and  as  they  are  concealed  by  dykes,  at 
a  certain  distance  off  you  can  see  neither  water  nor  boats, 
but  only  the  swelling  sails,  which  have  the  appearance  of 
making  an  excursion  about  the  country.  There  are  boats 
for  conveying  passengers;  the  rich  and  busy  classes  despise 
this  mode  of  locomotion  as  too  slow  or  too  vulgar,  but  they 
lose  those  landscape  beauties  for  which  the  speed  does  not 
compensate.  Heaven  forbid  that  we  should  condemn  steam, 

215 


2 1 6  HOLLAND 

whose  services  on  the  contrary  we  admire,  but  Holland  is 
of  all  countries  in  the  world  the  one  which,  owing  to  its 
abundance  of  canals,  could  most  easily  do  without  locomo- 
tives. Elsewhere  navigation  has  never  been  able  to  compete 
with  the  iron  ways,  but  in  the  Netherlands  the  greater  part 
of  the  carriage  still  continues  to  be  effected  by  water;  and 
this  economic  method  will  for  a  long  time  supply  most  wants. 
The  services  rendered  elsewhere  by  carts  are  here  performed 
by  boats;  the  gardener  himself  pulls  to  market  his  boat 
laden  with  vegetables,  fruits,  or  flowers,  just  as  in  the  south 
of  France  a  donkey  is  led  along.  All  this  verdure,  all  this 
wealth  of  spring,  arranged  with  a  vivid  feeling  for  colour, 
really  is  a  pleasure  to  look  upon. 

At  Amsterdam,  on  quarter  days,  the  furniture  is  moved 
from  one  part  of  the  town  to  another  on  canals;  chairs 
and  tables,  arranged  with  some  degree  of  symmetry,  appear 
to  be  awaiting  visitors.  These  saloons  on  the  water  move 
along  through  the  crowd,  which  does  not  even  look  at  them. 
Milk  comes  to  Amsterdam  from  the  adjacent  farms  by  the 
same  route,  in  the  morning  at  five  or  six  o'clock,  and  in  the 
afternoon  at  about  three.  The  North  Holland  Canal,  whose 
width  more  than  one  river  might  envy,  sees  boats  coming 
and  going,  loaded  with  oak  buckets,  adorned  with  copper 
handles  and  hoops.  The  milk  girls  who  hover  round  these 
boats  are  frequently  young  and  pretty;  their  large  hats  of 
shining  straw,  the  brim  of  which  is  slightly  turned  up  in 
front  and  back,  their  large  earrings  and  coral  bead  neck- 
laces, set  off  their  ruddy  complexions.  The  milk  boats 
sometimes  meet  on  the  Amsterdam  canal  water  boats  coming 


LIFE    OX    THE    WATER        217 

from  Utrecht.  Such  is  in  fact  one  of  the  singularities  of 
this  Northern  Venice;  though  seated  in  the  midst  of  water, 
it  has  none  to  drink.  Flat  boats,  true  water  carriers,  were 
obliged  to  come  to  its  help  till  very  recently,  when  human 
industry  sought  rain  water  in  the  sand  of  the  dunes,  and 
brought  it  to  Amsterdam  by  engines  whose  strength  and 
boldness  of  conception  are  admirable. 

The  boats  specially  employed  for  the  passenger  service 
are  called  trekschuyten.  They  are  a  species  of  gondola 
or  water  diligence.  Along  nearly  the  whole  length,  which 
is  about  thirty  feet,  runs  a  box  or  wooden  house,  frequently 
painted  green;  the  roof,  on  which  the  sailors  walk  to  per- 
form sundry  operations,  being  covered  with  a  layer  of 
pounded  cockle  shells.  This  house  is  divided  into  two 
compartments  or  cabins;  the  larger  one,  situated  near  the 
prow,  is  common  to  passengers  and  luggage.  Here,  during 
the  winter,  the  worthy  people,  shut  up  as  in  a  box,  swim 
along  in  a  cloak  of  tobacco  smoke,  which  relieves  the  tedium 
of  the  voyage.  In  summer  the  wooden  shutters  are  removed, 
and  the  hatch  is  raised  from  the  orifice  by  which  the  trav- 
ellers descend.  The  second  compartment  is  the  cabinet, 
called  in  Dutch  the  roef,  which  is  entered  through  folding- 
doors.  The  second  cabin  is  small,  but  fitted  up  with  some 
degree  of  taste.  The  windows,  four  or  six  in  number,  are 
glazed  and  have  red  or  white  curtains,  according  to  the 
season.  In  the  centre  is  a  table  with  a  copper  vessel  con- 
taining fire,  and  another  smaller  one  to  receive  cigar  ash, 
both  cleaned  and  polished  in  a  manner  only  found  in  Hol- 
land. Add  to  this,  to  complete  the  furniture,  a  mat,  a 


2i  8  HOLLAND 

looking-glass,  and,  in  winter  for  the  ladies,  a  foot-warmer, 
called  the  stoof,  containing  a  small  earthenware  vessel  with 
two  or  three  lumps  of  lighted  peat  in  it.  Along  two  sides 
of  this  cabin  run  cushioned  benches,  on  which  the  travellers 
sit  down  opposite  to  each  other.  Sometimes  there  are  on 
a  shelf  a  few  volumes  belonging  to  the  boat  and  forming  a 
floating  library  at  the  service  of  the  studious  passengers. 
The  whole  national  character  is  revealed  in  this  simple  and 
minute  attention  to  comfort.  At  the  bows,  the  space  not 
occupied  by  the  cabinet  is  filled  with  merchandise,  bales, 
and  barrels;  while  the  poop  is  left  to  travellers  who  wish 
to  take  the  fresh  air,  and  the  helmsman,  who  steers  and 
smokes  the  while  with  the  regularity  of  a  steamer. 

The  master  of  the  trekschuyt  is  a  worthy  Dutchman,  with 
an  honest  and  placid  face,  who  receives  the  fares  from  the 
passengers  in  a  leathern  purse.  In  the  front  of  the  boat 
stands  the  mast,  which  is  lowered  at  each  bridge,  and  to  the 
top  of  which  a  long  rope  is  fastened,  the  other  end  being  on 
the  bank.  This  rope  is  fastened  to  the  horse  that  pulls  the 
boat,  on  which  the  postilion  (het  jagertie)  is  mounted.  This 
driver,  who  is  generally  a  young  fellow,  wears  over  his 
shoulder,  in  some  parts,  a  buffalo  horn,  which  he  blows, 
either  to  give  the  signal  for  starting,  or  to  have  the  bridges 
raised,  or  else  to  warn  boats  coming  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion on  the  same  canal;  but  generally  he  contents  himself 
with  giving  the  warning  by  shouting.  When  the  trekschuyt 
passes  through  towns,  the  horse  is  unfastened,  and  it  is  pro- 
pelled by  poles  through  the  tangled  web  of  boats.  The 
Dutch  boatmen  are  neither  turbulent  nor  quarrelsome,  and 


LIFE    ON    THE    WATER        219 

it  is  a  pleasure  to  see  them  working  in  silence  upon  the  silent 
waters. 

The  boats  are,  with  the  mills  and  the  head-dress  of  the 
women,  the  characteristic  types  of  Dutch  manners.  At  times 
they  only  go  short  distances,  as,  for  instance,  from  The 
Hague  to  Delft,  and  are  in  that  case  water  omnibuses.  When 
the  journey  is  long,  each  establishes  himself  in  the  cabin  as 
in  his  room,  and  carries  on  his  business;  for  it  is  the  nature 
of  the  Dutchman  to  economise  the  stuff  of  which  life  is 
made.  People  write,  eat,  and  sleep ;  the  ladies  produce  their 
needlework,  the  elder  ones  their  knitting.  From  one  town 
to  another  is  with  them  the  distance  of  half  a  stocking. 
It  is  not  rare  for  an  organist  to  be  present  in  the  front 
cabin,  who  whiles  away  the  fatigue  of  the  journey  by  playing. 
On  Sunday,  especially  toward  evening,  young  girls  are  fond 
of  singing  in  chorus;  and  this  song  of  the  waters  has  some- 
thing simple  and  soft  about  it  which  is  affecting. 

On  the  trekschuyten  floats  old  Holland,  with  its  language, 
manners  and  conscientious  and  powerful  originality.  There 
are  some  trekschuyten  in  which  you  pass  the  night;  at 
about  six  in  the  evening,  in  the  event  of  the  master  being 
polite  (and  we  never  met  any  who  were  not  so),  he  invites 
you  to  take  tea.  You  then  see  a  little  cabinet  produced,  con- 
taining cups,  sugar-basin,  and  tea-pot  of  black  earthen-ware, 
which  is  not  inelegant.  The  kettle  is  placed  on  a  species 
of  stove  covered  with  Chinese  designs,  and  containing  a 
vessel  filled  with  burning  peat.  At  night  the  roef  is  divided 
into  two  parts — a  saloon  and  a  small  sleeping-room,  of  which 
the  curtains  are  raised.  A  common  bed,  occupying  the  en- 


220  HOLLAND 

tire  width  of  the  cabin,  and  on  which  men  and  women  sleep 
honestly  side  by  side,  invites  you  to  take  your  share  of  the 
universal  calm  and  rest  of  nature.  This  bed  is  composed 
of  a  mattress  and  counterpane,  and  you  lie  down  on  it  full 
dressed.  During  this  period  the  boat  continues  its  noiseless 
voyage  through  the  waters,  which  divide  in  a  silver  furrow 
on  either  side  the  prow. 

On  the  railways  steam  effaces  everything  through  its 
speed ;  in  the  boats  you  enjoy  at  your  ease  the  scenery  and 
the  physiognomy  of  the  towns  and  villages  you  pass  through. 
Seated  near  the  helm,  you  allow  your  eyes  to  wander  over 
the  water,  which  yields  with  a  slight  plash  to  the  movement 
of  the  boat;  you  notice  the  white,  red,  or  black  sails  that 
enliven  the  solitude  of  the  canal ;  the  prairies  where  cows, 
covered  in  spring  with  warm  blankets,  gravely  chew  the 
damp  grass;  the  beautiful  marsh  birds,  which  are  seen  no- 
where else;  the  women  silently  washing  the  linen;  or  the 
continuous  fringe  of  chateaux,  country-houses,  and  gardens 
that  line  the  canal  banks. 

The  scenery  of  Holland  has  often  been  accused  of  mo- 
notony ;  •  but  possibly  persons  have  not  looked  twice  at  it. 
Here  you  must  not  seek  variety  on  the  earth,  but  in  the  sky. 
Look  up!  the  sky  is  more  diversified  in  the  Netherlands 
than  anywhere  in  France.  Those  immense  clouds,  with  their 
thousand  shapes,  their  changing  colours  and  rapid  wings, 
impart  a  singular  movement  to  the  landscape.  But  the  land 
and  the  water  are  not  without  diversity.  The  nature  of 
the  Netherlands  is  photographic,  clear,  positive  and  deli- 
cate, abounding  in  minute  and  charming  details.  Individual 


LIFE    OX    THE    WATER        221 

property  is  neither  imprisoned  nor  hidden ;  the  fields  are 
walled  by  water.  In  these  ditches  that  take  the  place  of 
hedge-rows,  a  perfect  aquatic  flora  is  expanded,  not  less 
rich  or  varied  than  the  terrestrial  flora.  In  spring  the  sombre 
surface  of  the  canals  is  studded  with  little  white  flowers,  soon 
to  be  joined  by  the  lily  and  the  iris ;  it  is  the  festival  of  the 
waters.  There  is  not  a  plant,  however  small,  in  this  cold 
and  damp  vegetable  nature,  which  has  not  its  day  of  beauty. 
Nor  is  life  absent  from  the  scene.  On  the  banks  of  the  canal 
marches  from  distance  to  distance  a  sturdy  lad,  and  at  times 
a  bending  woman,  painfully  towing  a  boat  along.  These 
wooden  houses  lodge  families,  which  are  born,  live,  and  die 
in  them. 

Often  you  may  see  a  mother  sitting  near  the  tiller, 
and  gravely  giving  her  infant  the  breast.  The  Dutchman 
is  so  naturally  a  sailor,  that  once  on  the  water  he  never 
looks  as  if  he  wished  to  reach  his  destination.  The  feeling 
which  these  persons,  cradled  at  their  birth  on  the  sleeping 
waters  of  the  canals,  know  the  least,  is  impatience.  You 
meet,  now  and  then  a  boat-woman  after  Rubens's  taste,  who, 
proud  of  her  embonpoint  and  second  youth,  casts  around 
her  a  cold  and  resolute  glance,  like  the  Queen  of  the  waters. 
In  these  travelling-houses  dwell  domestic  animals,  which 
have  become,  as  it  were,  amphibious,  and  have  the  calm  faces 
of  their  masters.  Between  the  lights  the  surface  of  the  canals 
is  changed  into  a  mirror,  in  which  all  nature  lives  and 
purifies  its  image.  On  the  banks,  the  trees,  wearied  by  the 
heat  of  the  day,  dip  the  ends  of  their  leaves  into  the  water, 
as  if  to  drink.  At  night,  if  you  stand  near  the  tiller,  you 


222  HOLLAND 

enjoy  a  spectacle  that  has  some  grandeur  about  it.  The  mills 
with  folded  wings,  which  seem  to  be  gazing  on  the  stars, 
the  placid  light  of  the  moon  on  the  tranquil  waters,  the  in- 
nocent attitude  of  the  small  houses  slumbering  on  the  banks 
of  the  canal,  and  from  which  a  cock-crow  is  audible  now  and 
then — all  this  reveals  to  you  one  of  the  rustic  sides  of 
Dutch  life. 

Holland  is  not  only  the  country  where  you  find  the  most 
water,  but  also  the  one  where  you  find  the  most  motionless 
water.  The  canals  are  arrested  rivers,  and  this  serenity 
of  the  water  is  related  to  that  of  the  manners,  habitations 
and  countenances.  Near  the  towns,  Chinese  pavilions  are 
built  on  the  canal  banks,  where  people  meet  in  fine  weather  to 
drink  tea  and  coffee.  Some  of  these  pavilions,  whose  roofs  are 
covered  with  varnished  and  glistening  tiles,  bathe  their  base 
in  water  with  a  joyous  air.  In  these  nests,  which  repose 
under  an  abundant  verdure,  domestic  happiness  seeks  a  ref- 
uge. The  stranger  who  wanders  about  alone  regards  with 
an  eye  of  envy  these  little  retreats,  which  are  so  proud  of 
their  cleanliness,  and  look  at  themselves  in  the  canal,  like  a 
girl  before  a  looking-glass.  Here  the  ladies  apply  themselves 
to  needlework,  while  looking  out  at  the  passing  boats  and 
travellers;  while  for  the  men  the  hours  evaporate  in  rings 
of  smoke.  It  has  long  been  remarked  how  naturally  a  pipe 
hung  from  a  Dutch  mouth,  and  most  local  habits  are  based 
on  the  hygienic  conditions  of  the  climate.  Beneath  the  foggy 
sky  of  the  Netherlands,  a  necessity  was  felt  to  produce 
smoke  against  smoke ;  it  is  a  sort  of  local  homoeopathy.  Less 
loquacious  and  more  contemplative  than  the  southern  French- 


LIFE    ON    THE    WATER        223 

man,  the  Dutchman  is  silent,  but  he  is  not  taciturn.  In 
Holland  we  find  what  thinkers  born  in  periods  of  moral 
agitation  never  attain,  and  what  Dante  sought — peace.  It 
is  not  rare  to  notice  on  little  wayside  hostelries  the  inscrip- 
tion Pax  intrantibus!  We  may  say  that  life  is  like  the  water 
of  the  canals,  it  does  not  flow.  Be  it  illusion  or  reality,  it 
seemed  to  us  that  the  hour  struck  here  more  slowly  than 
in  France,  and  it  is  ushered  into  life  with  a  song.  The 
carillons  produce,  at  a  certain  distance,  and  on  the  water, 
an  effect  difficult  to  describe.  The  whole  character  of  Old 
Holland  is  found  in  these  solemn  peals,  in  these  ./Eolian 
voices,  which  the  fathers  heard,  and  their  sons  will  hear 
after  them.  At  Utrecht,  a  thoroughly  Protestant  town,  the 
chimes  play  a  hymn  according  to  the  Reformed  ritual. 
This  Puritan  gentleness,  these  notes  which  the  bells  clash 
out  in  the  air,  harmonise  with  the  calm  and  reposed  hues 
of  the  scenery.  The  gardens  that  border  the  water  are  kept 
up,  gravelled  and  raked  with  extreme  care,  and  trees  loaded 
with  fruit,  offer  a  pleasing  variety  to  the  slightly  monotonous 
character  of  the  verdure. 

Tacitus,  in  writing  of  these  low  and  cold  countries,  says: 
"  The  riches  of  autumn  are  unknown  to  them ;  these  people 
have  only  three  seasons — winter,  spring,  and  summer."  In 
Holland  the  horticultural  art  has  created  a  season  which 
nature  did  not  indicate.  Man  has  made  an  autumn  here 
by  introducing  the  productions  which  are  the  ornament  and 
crown  of  that  season.  In  South  Holland  especially,  grapes 
flourish,  the  fruit  of  which  is  destined  for  England.  The 
Netherlands  gardeners  have  ever  excelled  in  the  art  of 


224  HOLLAND 

accelerating  the  ripening  of  fruit,  and  they  are  even  said 
to  have  taught  other  people  the  management  of  hothouses. 
The  Dutch  autumn  under  glass  is  rich  in  melons,  and  all 
sorts  of  fruits  and  vegetables  of  which  Batavia  was  ig- 
norant. 

In  Holland  the  towns  and  villages  touch  one  another,  and 
this  is  a  consequence  of  the  slight  extent  of  territory.  The 
houses  are  small,  discreet,  and  circumspect;  you  notice  in 
the  habitations,  as  in  the  character  of  the  inhabitants,  that 
moderation  of  tastes  and  desires  which  is  the  philosophy  of 
happiness.  The  Dutch  do  not  suffer  like  the  Belgians  from 
the  whitewashing  malady ;  they  leave  their  houses  the  pleas- 
ant colour  of  the  bricks.  This  red  colour,  combined  with 
the  verdure  of  the  trees,  the  dark  blue  of  the  canals,  and  the 
gold  of  the  sun,  gives  the  towns  and  often  the  villages  in 
the  Netherlands,  a  holiday  aspect.  A  widely  spread  taste, 
especially  among  the  women,  is  that  for  flowers,  for  here 
home  life  is  a  poem,  and  all  means  are  sought  to  idealise 
it.  We  had  already  noticed  in  Flanders  that  moral  habits 
were  trained  with  the  love  of  flowers;  in  the  Netherlands 
it  is  an  inclination  which  is  becoming  general.  A  rose  ex- 
panding behind  a  clean  and  thoroughly  transparent  Dutch 
window  resembles  the  perfumed  soul  of  the  house.  These 
domestic  gardens  are  sometimes  perfect  conservatories,  so 
rich  and  varied  does  the  flora  appear.  One  of  the  most  ad- 
mired plants  in  Holland  is  the  hyacinth,  and  there  is  any 
quantity  of  varieties;  the  Sephrane  (white),  the  Unique 
Rose,  the  Jenny  Lind,  the  Mind  your  Eyes  (red),  the  Ami- 
able Shepherdess,  the  Othello,  which  latter  is  of  a  dark  and 


LIFE    ON    THE    WATER        225 

tragic  colour,  as  suiting  the  Moor  of  Venice.  If  trans- 
planted to  other  countries,  these  bulbs  degenerate;  true 
children  of  Batavia,  they  only  find  pleasure  in  Holland. 

Nothing  is  lacking  to  the  peaceful  and  contemplative 
joy  of  the  houses  in  the  small  towns  or  villages  of  Holland 
when  the  stork  by  chance  builds  its  nest  upon  them.  In 
this  country  the  same  naive  and  touching  respect  is  shown  the 
stork  as  in  other  places  is  shown  to  the  swallow.  The  stork, 
in  fact,  is  a  swallow  on  a  large  scale;  it  wages  with  frogs, 
toads,  rats  and  lizards  that  useful  war  which  the  guest  of 
our  chimney-pots  and  old  chateaux  carries  on  with  insects. 
Storks  are,  moreover,  regarded  as  birds  of  good  omen,  and 
you  need  have  no  fear  as  to  them  being  killed.  Happy  the 
roof  near  which  they  deign  to  settle,  happier  still  the  one 
they  select  as  their  domicile!  Perches  and  artificial  shelter 
are  even  constructed  to  attract  them,  for  a  stork's  nest  is 
the  crown  of  the  house.  In  some  parts  of  Holland  if  a 
stork  breaks  its  leg  by  any  accident  it  is  supplied  with  a 
wooden  one. 

From  a  mere  sight  of  the  Netherlands,  you  can  form 
an  idea  of  Dutch  art.  The  sky  is  not  bathed,  as  in  the 
south,  in  a  light  so  intense  that  it  absorbs  everything,  but  it 
is  a  prudent  and  discreet,  though  bright  light,  which  imparts 
a  value  to  every  object.  The  water,  which  is  always  here 
the  soul  and  life  of  the  landscape,  runs  like  a  silvery  thread 
between  the  trees.  The  Dutch  school  has  been  accused  of 
being  deficient  in  ideality,  but  what  imparts  ideality  to  a 
landscape  is  an  extensive,  vague  and  open  horizon.  In  the 
Netherlands  the  horizon  is  generally  sharp,  distinct  and  re- 


226  HOLLAND 

stricted;  it  leaves  nothing  to  the  imagination.  Still  you 
must  make  no  mistake;  this  does  not  constitute  the  whole 
of  Holland.  The  polders  made  Gerard  Dou,  Van  Ostade, 
Paul  Potter,  Ruysdael  and  Cuyp;  the  dunes  made  Rem- 
brandt. 

The  dunes  are  the  desert;  there  you  find  that  vigor- 
ous opposition  of  light  and  shade,  that  savage  and  rent 
character,  that  uncultivated  vegetation,  those  mountains, 
gorges,  and  precipices,  which  gave  a  style  to  the  most  Spanish 
of  the  Dutch  painters.  One  portion  of  the  dunes  in  fact 
resembles  a  sierra;  this  sea  of  furrows  and  solid  sand, 
covered  by  a  tawny  vegetation  of  thyme,  broom,  and  heath 
(a  species  of  miniature  virgin  forest),  these  coasts  whose 
strength,  like  that  of  Samson,  dwells  in  their  hair;  these 
snipe,  curlew,  gulls,  and  large  crows  passing  with  out- 
stretched wings  over  the  dunes;  and  then,  between  the 
crests  of  these  relative  Alps,  a  corner  of  the  sea  glistening 
and  polished  as  a  sabre  blade — all  this  reveals  the  energetic 
side  of  the  Dutch  character.  We  can  understand  Ruyter  and 
all  the  astonishing  sailors,  whose  race  is  not  yet  extinct  in 
the  Netherlands.  Their  intrepidity  seems  the  greater  be- 
cause it  is  candid;  the  Dutch  mariner  is  as  much  at  his 
ease  on  the  sea  as  on  his  canals.  He  may  often  be  seen 
crossing  dangerous  waters  in  frail  and  damaged  boats,  with- 
out even  suspecting  his  heroism.  Tempests  are  familiar  to 
him,  he  has  lived  with  them  from  his  infancy,  and  we  might 
almost  say  that  he  ignores  them  through  his  repeated  vic- 
tories over  them.  The  dunes  may  give  the  feeling  of  mascu- 
line energy,  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  not  rare  to  find  in  the 


LIFE    OX    THE    WATER        227 

almost  naked  sand,  only  a  few  paces  from  the  sea,  a  little 
flower  which  the  wind  has  sown,  an  image  of  that  love 
of  country  and  of  family  which  are  allied  to  stoical  courage 
in  the  heart  of  the  rough  sailors. 

An  influence  which  has  contributed  to  harden  physically 
the  children  of  the  Netherlands  is  the  climate.  This  climate 
is  not  precisely  very  severe,  but  it  is  damp  and  inconstant; 
we  must  not  lose  out  of  sight  that  people  live  here  on  the 
sea.  The  meteorology  of  Holland  is  as  peculiar  as  her 
history,  her  origin,  and  her  manners.  In  spring  a  fine  day 
is  most  usually  announced  by  a  cold  fog  which  attaches  itself 
to  the  ends  of  the  branches,  where  it  forms  small  crystals. 
The  trees  with  their  stripped  branches  then  resemble  gigantic 
stalactites;  at  about  eight  or  nine  in  the  morning  the 
crystals  melt  before  the  sun,  and  the  forest  constructed  by 
the  hoar  frost  falls  in  a  shower.  The  moon,  especially  on 
cold  nights,  shines  more  brightly  through  the  clouds  than 
it  does  elsewhere.  In  summer  two  or  three  temperatures 
often  succeed  each  other  on  the  same  day,  and  if  the  seasons 
be  travelling  climates,  they  have  a  capricious  and  changeable 
temper  in  Holland.  Even  in  summer  the  damp  lasts  a  long 
time  after  the  army  of  mills,  those  advanced  sentries  for  the 
physical  defence  of  the  country,  have,  in  April  and  May, 
drained  the  polders  inundated  during  winter;  on  the  night 
of  the  finest  days  a  white  mist  rises  from  the  ground  and 
steams  on  the  surface  of  the  prairies.  It  would  be  interesting 
to  know  whether  cultivation  and  hydraulic  works  have,  by 
warming  the  soil  of  the  Netherlands,  modified  the  conditions 
of  the  atmosphere,  but  unfortunately  meteorological  history 


228  HOLLAND 

is  still  in  its  infancy  here.  There  is  at  Utrecht  an  observa- 
tory \vhose  labours  are  estimable,  but  its  experiments  only 
go  back  for  a  few  years.  Everything,  however,  leads  to  the 
belief  that  the  climate  of  the  Netherlands  has  improved  dur- 
ing historic  ages. 


HOUSES 

FREDERICK  SPENCER  BIRD 

MANY  persons  engaged  in  business  in  the  large 
Dutch  towns  have  their  country-houses  or 
buitenplaatsen,  to  which  in  summer,  after  office 
hours,  they  retire  to  enjoy  for  a  time  the  pleasures  of  rural 
life.  The  majority  of  these  retreats  are  only  one  or  two 
stories  high,  and  are  situated  in  the  midst  of  tastefully  ar- 
ranged gardens,  with  smooth  lawns  in  front.  They  are 
amply  provided  with  shady  arbours,  in  which  the  proprie- 
tors and  their  families  may  often  be  observed  partaking  of 
refreshments,  in  full  view  of  persons  travelling  on  the  public 
road,  for  the  Dutch  have  not  our  English  taste  for  privacy, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  like  to  see  and  be  seen. 

The  grounds  are  usually  separated  from  the  highway  by 
a  ditch  or  moat,  in  which  ornamental  water-plants  are  grow- 
ing; and  the  house  is  approached  by  a  small  drawbridge, 
which  is  raised  or  lowered  as  occasion  may  require.  The 
front  of  the  building  is  often  covered  with  a  profusion  of 
roses,  or  other  creepers,  which  give  it  a  truly  charming  ap- 
pearance. The  owners  of  these  pleasant  temporary'  abodes 
usually  give  them  some  name  suggestive  of  tranquillity  or 
retirement,  as  Myn  Rust  (my  repose),  Myn  Vreugde  (my 
joy),  Honigbij  (honey-bee),  Mon  bijou  (my  jewel),  Rosen 
Lust  (rose  pleasure),  etc. 

In  towns  the  houses  are  generally  very  lofty  and  are  built 

229 


230  HOLLAND 

without  any  uniformity  of  architectural  style.  Many  of 
them  are  several  centuries  old  and  of  exceedingly  quaint 
appearance.  In  numerous  instances,  the  foundations  having 
sunk,  the  buildings  are  so  much  out  of  the  perpendicular  as 
to  appear  positively  dangerous.  Some  may  be  seen  inclining 
towards  the  foot-path  with  a  top-heavy  appearance;  others 
seem  to  support  themselves  by  leaning  against  their  neigh- 
bours, like  old  veterans,  who,  burdened  with  years,  have 
become  too  feeble  to  stand  by  themselves. 

Holland  not  being  strictly  terra  firma,  all  Dutch  houses 
are  built  on  piles  driven  deep  into  the  yielding  earth  to 
prevent  the  buildings  from  sinking.  This  practice  gave 
rise  to  the  well-known  saying  of  Erasmus,  that  he  knew  a 
country  whose  inhabitants  dwelt  at  the  tops  of  trees,  like 
rooks.  The  trunks  of  pine  and  fir  trees  used  for  the  pur- 
pose are  obtained  from  Germany.  Vast  numbers  cut  in 
the  Black  Forest  are  fastened  together,  so  as  to  form  huge 
rafts,  on  which  huts  are  erected  for  the  men  in  charge  to 
live  in.  They  are  then  floated  down  the  Rhine  with  the 
current  and  guided  by  a  number  of  long  oars,  worked  by  the 
united  efforts  of  the  crews,  which  often  consist  of  150  or 
200  men.  An  immense  quantity  of  this  sort  of  timber  is 
thus  brought  annually  to  Dordrecht,  Rotterdam  and  other 
river-side  towns. 

The  foundation  of  a  building  in  Holland  is  commenced 
by  digging  out  the  earth  to  a  depth  of  two  or  three  feet. 
The  excavation  thus  made  almost  immediately  fills  with 
water,  which  is  a  proof  of  the  aqueous  nature  of  the  Dutch 
soil,  and  would  present  dreadful  visions  of  rheumatism  and 


HOUSES  231 

ague  to  the  minds  of  most  Englishmen.  Hollanders  have  no 
such  fears,  and  frequently  take  up  their  residence  in  a  new 
house  as  soon  as  the  roof  is  on,  and  the  glass  in  the  window- 
frames,  without  a  thought  as  to  the  dampness  of  floors  and 
walls.  It  has  been  facetiously  asserted  that  Dutch  children 
are  born  web-footed;  but  joking  apart,  Netherlanders  may 
be  said  to  be  almost  amphibious  in  their  nature.  The  next 
operation  is  to  drive  piles — the  straightest  that  can  be  pro- 
cured— thirty  or  forty  feet  into  the  ground,  side  by  side,  a 
few  inches  apart,  in  the  lines  marked  out  for  the  walls. 
These  are  forced  perpendicularly  into  the  earth  by  a  power- 
ful steam-hammer,  or  by  repeated  blows  from  a  heavy  weight, 
alternately  raised  and  lowered  by  means  of  a  pulley  and 
ropes,  worked  by  a  gang  of  twenty  or  thirty  labourers. 
When  the  requisite  number  of  piles  are  driven  in,  the  ends 
remaining  above  the  ground  are  cut  off  level  with  each 
other,  and  horizontal  beams  of  oak  are  laid  over  them.  The 
building  itself  is  then  commenced  by  placing  the  bricks  on 
the  foundation  thus  prepared.  The  back  and  front  of  the 
house  are  never  built  until  the  roof  is  on,  in  order  that  a 
free  current  of  air  passing  through  may  cause  the  inner  and 
side  walls  to  set  more  firmly  and  dry  quicker.  When  the 
building  is  completed,  coarse  convas,  stretched  on  wooden 
frames,  is  fitted  against  the  walls,  and  upon  this  the  paper 
is  pasted;  so  that  no  matter  how  damp  the  brick  work 
behind  it  may  be,  the  result  is  an  appearance  of  dryness, 
which  is  often  very  delusive.  Small  tiles,  instead  of  slates, 
are  used  for  the  roofs,  and  the  internal  and  external  decora- 
tions are  completed  with  much  taste.  In  at  least  one  im- 


232  HOLLAND 

portant  respect,  in  the  arrangements  of  their  houses,  the 
Dutch  differ  greatly  from  the  English.  With  us  the  kitchens 
are  always  built  at  the  rear  of  the  premises.  In  Holland 
they  are  generally  in  front;  and  as  the  windows  face  the 
street,  it  affords  unlimited  opportunities  for  the  cook  and 
housemaid  to  carry  on  flirtations  with  their  male  admirers, 
a  facility  of  which  they  are  by  no  means  slow  to  avail  them- 
selves. House-rents  being  very  high  in  Holland,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  dearness  of  land  and  the  difficulty  and  expense 
attending  building  operations,  some  dwellings  are  divided 
into  flats,  and  are  let  to  two  or  three  different  tenants.  Thus 
one  family  occupy  three  or  four  rooms  on  the  ground  floor 
called  beneden,  while  others  live  on  the  second  and  upper 
floors,  called  boven  womngen.  This  arrangement  cannot 
always  be  satisfactory  to  persons  of  nervous  temperament, 
or  to  lovers  of  home  quietude,  for  sounds  originated  on  one 
floor  are  often  distinctly  audible  on  another. 

Many  of  the  old  Dutch  houses  are  far  more  elaborately 
ornamented  inside  than  those  of  modern  construction.  In 
some  of  them  you  may  see  spacious  entrance  halls  of  white 
marble,  broad  staircases  of  dark  polished  oak,  doors  of  shin- 
ing mahogany,  ceilings  and  walls  beautifully  painted  with 
figures,  fruit  and  flowers,  and  mirrors  with  exquisitely  carved 
frames  permanently  fixed  over  the  fireplaces.  Even  the 
charitable  institutions  and  poor  houses  in  Holland  are  very 
different  to  the  plain  unadorned  buildings  so  often  used  in 
England  as  refuges  for  the  unfortunate  and  destitute,  many 
of  them  being  structures  of  considerable  architectural  beauty, 
while  in  their  management  the  Dutch  are  very  successful. 


COUNTRY  LIFE 

C.  J.  CORNISH 

THE  town  life  of  Holland  is  so  highly  organised 
and  so  picturesque  that  visitors,  travelling  by 
short  stages  from  one  quaint  and  populous  city 
to  another,  through  mazes  of  artificial  dykes  and  canals, 
may  well  doubt  if  there  is  any  wild  outdoor  life  worth 
seeing  in  the  country.  It  is  a  natural  inference  that  the 
elaborate  perfection  of  "  Dutch  interiors  "  whether  in  real 
mansions,  or  farm-houses,  or  on  the  canvas  of  Dutch  painters, 
has  been  reached  at  the  expense  of  the  natural  beauties 
which  ought  to  surround  them,  and  that  in  bridling  the  sea, 
and  barring  out  the  great  rivers  from  their  land,  and  keeping 
down  the  inland  waters,  the  people  have  also  banished  most 
of  the  uncovenanted  grace  of  natural  scenery. 

This  view  is  only  true  in  part.  There  are  districts  of 
Holland  which  are  as  wild  as  the  sand-hills  of  Morayshire; 
others,  though  in  the  artificially  reclaimed  area,  are  peopled 
with  birds  and  clothed  with  plants  and  flowers  all  character- 
istic of  the  peculiar  land  in  which  they  grow;  and  apart 
from  the  special  interest  of  the  Dutch  farming,  flower-rais- 
ing, and  canals,  there  is  enough  genuine  wild  country  to 
delight  the  sportsman  and  naturalist.  Any  one  residing  in 
Holland  for  a  time  soon  discovers  that  the  Dutch  themselves 
are  well  aware  that  this  is  the  case,  and  that  in  their  own 
way  they  appreciate  wild  Holland  as  we  appreciate  wild 
England. 

233 


234  HOLLAND 

The  country-house  and  the  outdoor  life  and  social  enjoy- 
ments which  we  associate  with  it,  are  very  dear  to  the  gen- 
tlemen of  Holland,  but  although  the  sentiment  which  orders 
the  establishment  is  the  same,  the  house  and  its  management 
are  thoroughly  Dutch — not  English.  We  seem  for  cen- 
turies to  have  had  something  of  the  gifts  of  Orpheus,  and 
called  the  best  trees  and  rocks  and  the  running  streams  up 
to  our  doors,  while  the  deer,  birds,  and  fish  have  followed 
them.  Part  of  this  success  is  due  to  the  instinct  for  choos- 
ing the  right  sites  for  country  houses,  part  to  the  endeavour, 
rarely  absent,  except  in  the  case  of  some  of  the  great  palaces 
built  in  the  Eighteenth  Century,  to  adapt  the  house  to  its 
site  and  surroundings.  Hence  the  delight  and  novelty  of 
visiting  the  good  houses  even  in  a  single  county  t  or  a  single 
neighbourhood.  No  two  are  alike,  and  each  has  something 
fresh  to  offer  in  garden,  park,  stream,  or  woods.  In  regard 
to  its  country  houses,  Holland  differs  both  from  England 
and  from  France.  It  is  full  of  fine  demesnes,  not  large 
in  area,  but  maintained  and  managed,  as  an  English  proprie- 
tor would  wish  his  house  to  be,  entirely  with  a  view  to 
the  enjoyment  of  outdoor  life.  The  country  houses  are 
not  left  in  shabby  splendour  for  ten  months  in  the  year, 
while  the  owner  enjoys  himself  in  the  capital,  as  is  too 
often  the  case  where  an  old  family  has  a  maison  de  campagne 
in  France.  Many  Dutch  proprietors  own  both  a  fine  town 
house  in  The  Hague,  where  their  arms  and  escutcheon  may 
be  seen  carved  on  the  pediment,  and  a  large  country  house 
only  a  few  miles  off.  But  since  the  court  has  almost  ceased 
to  exist  as  a  social  institution,  the  town  house  is  shut  up, 


235 

and  the  owner  prefers  to  live  on  his  country  property.  There, 
however,  he  does  not  often  own  the  broad  acres  of  the 
English  squire.  These  have  usually  been  divided  among 
his  brothers  and  sisters,  if  he  has  any,  by  the  action  of  the  law 
compelling  equal  division  of  property  among  children.  On 
the  other  hand  what  under  the  English  law  of  settled  estates 
is  called  the  "  mansion  house "  and  demesne  remains  his 
property.  Most  of  these  houses  were  built  before  the  Code 
Napoleon  was  established  in  Holland,  and  were  intended 
for  the  expenditure  of  good  incomes,  and  designed  with  a 
considerable  dignity  and  sumptuousness.  By  saving,  and 
often  by  lucky  investments  in  the  Dutch  East  Indies,  the 
owners  of  most  of  these  houses  are  still  rich,  and  can  live 
the  life  they  please  without  pinching,  like  many  English 
country  gentlemen.  We  are  dealing  with  the  social  and  not 
the  economic  side  of  outdoor  life,  but  so  much  must  be  said 
to  explain  the  conditions  under  which  the  Dutch  country 
house  is  able  to  be  enjoyed.  It  is  also  possible  to  be  some- 
what precise  in  describing  the  character  of  these  demesnes, 
because,  unlike  the  English  squires,  the  founders  of  these 
houses  had  no  variety  of  site  to  select  from.  They  build 
either  close  to  the  sand  hills  or  inland.  In  either  case  the 
site  was  a  dead  flat,  and  the  charm  of  outdoor  surroundings 
had  to  be  created,  mainly  by  planting  woods,  cutting  lakes 
and  canals,  encouraging  the  growth  of  wild  flowers,  breeding 
poultry,  creating  gardens,  and  preserving  wild-fowl,  pheas- 
ants, hares,  which  swarm  in  the  "  polder  "  meadows.  On 
none  of  these  objects,  except  perhaps  the  fowls,  does  the 
Dutch  taste  spend  the  money  and  time  necessary  to  give  that 


236  HOLLAND 

finish  and  completeness  which  we  understand  to  be  meant 
when  we  speak  of  a  house  being  "  well  kept  up."  It  is  not 
that  the  owner  cannot  afford  it,  but  that  he  does  not  think  it 
necessary. 

There  is  an  English  belief  that  "  Dutch  gardening  "  is 
something  very  quaint,  formal  and  precise.  The  belief  must 
date  from  an  early  period  of  Dutch  history.  Even  those 
two  great  adjuncts  of  garden  neatness,  the  roller  and  the 
lawn  mower,  are  almost  unknown  in  Holland.  The  gar- 
deners live  under  the  belief  that  the  way  to  make  a  lawn 
is  to  cut  it  as  seldom  as  possible,  and  never  to  walk  on  it. 
As  the  subsoil  is  usually  loose  peaty  sand,  the  grass  is  always 
thin,  and  the  edges  ragged.  A  few  tulip-beds  and  begonias 
and  plenty  of  flowering  shrubs  make  up  the  flower-garden, 
but  the  contrast  of  the  ponds,  canals  and  tall  woods,  with 
the  good  brick  mansion,  makes  up  for  the  want  of  colour. 
The  house  itself  is  nearly  always  built  of  small,  very  hard, 
red-brown  bricks,  like  those  used  in  the  Elizabethan  houses 
of  England.  The  windows  are  tall,  and  the  frames  set  in 
flush  with  the  wall — another  mark  of  good  sense  in  build- 
ing— and  the  roof  is  high  and  steep.  Often  the  front  has 
a  handsome  pediment,  or  a  stone  loggia  and  flight  of  steps. 
In  this  case  there  is  generally  a  corresponding  formality  in 
the  lines  of  canal  or  cuttings  through  the  surrounding  woods. 
But  in  most  of  these  properties  the  canals  wind  almost  with- 
out design  among  the  clearings — they  can  scarcely  be  called 
lawns — and  the  thick  wild  coppices  abut  on  both  without 
bank  or  fence.  These  woods  are  the  principal  charms  of 
the  demesne.  They  surround  every  house  of  consequence, 


COUNTRY    LIFE  237 

and  differ  from  our  English  woods  both  in  growth  of  trees 
and  underwood,  and  in  the  lesser  vegetation  of  weeds  and 
flowers.  The  greater  part  of  the  haut  bols  is  elm,  the  sous 
bois  mainly  hazel,  and  trees  and  underwood  alike  are  planted 
as  thickly  together  as  possible.  This  forces  upward  growth, 
and,  like  most  things  in  Holland,  has  a  definite  purpose. 
The  underwood  is  used  almost  entirely  to  make  the  fascines 
which  form  the  lowest  layer  on  which  the  great  dykes  are 
built,  and  experience  has  shown  that  it  is  desirable  that 
these  fascines  should  be  as  long  as  possible.  They  are  bought 
by  Government,  and  shipped  by  the  hundred  thousand  to 
those  parts  of  the  coast  where  the  dykes  are  being  renewed. 
The  high  trees  usually  stand  for  about  seventy  years  before 
being  felled.  A  really  fine  ancient  tree,  like  those  in  English 
parks,  is  seldom  seen,  except  in  the  great  wood  at  The 
Hague.  The  subsoil  of  the  woods  is  of  the  lightest  kind, 
mainly  black  sand,  never  damp,  harbouring  no  mould  or 
mildew  or  unwholesome  rotten  vegetation,  but  warm,  dry 
and  covered  with  a  wonderful  growth  of  wild  flowers.  Red 
campion,  yellow  nettle,  dead  nettles  and  wood  anemones 
grow  to  double  the  size  which  they  commonly  reach  in 
England,  and  sweetbriar  seems  native  to  the  soil.  Soft 
sandy  paths  wind  in  every  direction  through  the  woods,  and 
cross  and  re-cross  the  canals  by  wisely  made  bridges  of  lat- 
tice work.  It  is  difficult  to  define  the  boundaries  of  garden 
and  wood,  and  pheasants,  rabbits  and  wild  ducks  roam 
pretty  much  where  they  please  over  beds  and  borders.  These 
woods  form  famous  playgrounds  for  the  children.  In  one 
the  writer  found  a  small  "  clearing  "  quite  surrounded  by 


238  HOLLAND 

trees,  in  which  the  little  boys  and  girls  of  the  house  had 
made  their  gardens  in  the  sandy  soil,  and  stuck  them  full 
of  broken  bits  of  chestnut  with  the  young  leaves  on. 

The  Dutch  proprietor  does  not,  as  a  rule,  amuse  him- 
self with  a  home  farm.  If  he  does,  he  probably  has  Eng- 
lish relatives — for  the  connection  between  the  upper  classes 
of  Holland  and  our  own  has  remained  unbroken  in  several 
of  the  leading  families  since  the  days  of  William  III.  But 
poultry-farming,  or  rather,  the  maintenance  of  a  stock  of 
rare  or  curious  Eastern  fowls,  is  a  common  hobby.  These 
are  kept  in  elaborately  ornamented  houses  and  runs,  and 
with  golden  pheasants,  peacocks,  and  other  native  birds, 
make  a  pretty  addition  to  the  live-stock  of  the  house. 

Whatever  variety  taste  and  tree-planting  give  to  the 
demesne  round  the  house,  the  adjacent  ground  is  always  the 
same.  There  is  none  of  the  gradual  transition  from  park 
to  meadow,  and  meadow  to  cornfields  of  an  English  mansion. 
The  woods  are  bounded  by  a  canal  or  a  ditch — a  summer- 
house  over  a  ditch  being  usually  the  last  piece  of  "  finish  " 
added  to  the  property.  Beyond  the  ditch  lie  the  "  polders." 
These  are  the  grass  meadows,  artificially  drained,  which 
form  the  normal  scenery  of  the  "  cow-keeping "  provinces 
of  Holland.  There  they  are  differentiated  as  dry  polders 
and  wet  polders,  but  to  our  own  way  of  thinking  they  are 
all  wet.  There  is,  however,  a  real  difference,  and  when 
the  eye  becomes  used  to  them  the  distinction  is  obvious.  In 
wet  polders  the  lines  of  water  and  grass  are  almost  equal, 
and  the  vegetation  is  that  of  the  marsh-side.  The  grass  is 
coarse,  and  myriads  of  king-cups  and  cuckoo  flowers  cover 


COUNTRY    LIFE  239 

the  ground.  On  the  bright  sun  of  early  summer  the  alterna- 
tion of  shining  lines  of  water  and  of  bright  green  and  yellow 
between  them  is  picturesque  enough.  Down  these  strips 
of  dry  ground  the  cows  graze,  two  and  two,  like  young 
ladies  at  a  boarding-school  out  for  a  walk.  The  dry  polders 
are  cut  for  hay.  There  the  lines  of  water  are  narrow,  and 
they  can  be  crossed  on  foot.  But  the  Dutch  farmers,  good- 
natured  and  polite  at  all  times,  strongly  object  to  trespass, 
and  resent  an  excursion  through  their  spring  grass,  even  if 
it  be  only  a  few  inches  high,  as  strongly  as  an  English 
owner  would  a  trespass  into  a  knee-deep  hay  field  in  June. 
As  the  cows  are  kept  indoors  throughout  the  winter,  the 
polders  then  lie  perfectly  quiet,  and  are  full  of  wild  fowl, 
not  massed  in  numbers  on  separate  sheets  of  water,  but 
scattered  everywhere  up  and  down  the  ditches.  Nearly  half 
the  wild  ducks  brought  to  the  London  market  are  shot  or 
netted  in  the  Dutch  polders,  and  it  is  noticed  that  nearly 
90  per  cent,  of  these  are  mallards.  In  very  hard  weather 
they  leave  not  only  the  frozen  polders  but  the  whole  area 
of  Holland,  and  fly  across  the  North  Sea  to  the  coasts  of 
Essex,  Suffolk  and  Norfolk.  This  is  because  the  Dutch 
coast  offers  no  food  for  them,  the  entire  sea-board  being  one 
vast  stretch  of  sand. 

In  spring  the  coast  birds,  godwits,  redshanks,  peewits,  and 
oyster-catchers,  migrate  to  the  polders  to  nest  and  bring  up 
their  young.  Their  incessant  calls  and  whistles,  and  rest- 
less flight,  suggest  an  idea  of  wildness  and  isolation  which 
it  is  difficult  to  reconcile  with  the  highly  domestic  character 
of  the  other  animals  which  there  cover  the  meadows;  the 


240  HOLLAND 

jacketed  herds  of  cows  waiting  to  be  milked  in  the  open, 
while  the  barge  waits  in  the  dyke  to  carry  the  brass  milk- 
can  to  market,  and  the  sheep  tethered  on  the  embankments 
that  they  may  not  stray  and  drink  the  water  below,  in  which 
lie  the  germs  of  "  fluke  "  and  other  parasitic  creatures  of 
the  marsh. 

Along  the  whole  coast  line  of  North  and  South  Holland 
the  change  from  this  highly  artificial  area  of  polder  and  canal 
to  a  region,  wild,  uninhabited,  and  left  almost  entirely  to 
the  influence  of  nature,  is  as  sudden  as  it  is  unexpected. 
When  a  Dutch  gentleman  feels  the  impulse  which  makes 
an  Englishman  rent  a  Scotch  or  Yorkshire  moor,  he  hires 
an  estate  in  the  sand-dunes.  There  in  spring  he  can  pass 
hours  without  seeing  a  human  being,  in  air  as  crisp  and  pure 
as  that  of  a  Norfolk  heath,  surrounded  by  vegetation  as 
characteristic  and  specialised  as  the  flora  of  the  Alps,  and 
by  a  mixed  and  teeming  population  of  the  birds  of  the  shore, 
the  forest,  and  the  moorland,  all  living  and  thriving  among 
conditions  of  soil  and  climate  to  which  they  have  adapted 
their  habits  much  as  the  shrubs  have  modified  their  form 
and  growth  to  suit  this  arid  tract.  Except,  perhaps,  in  the 
sand-hills  of  the  Moray  Firth,  we  have  nothing  quite  like 
the  dunes.  They  are  no  ordinary  row  of  sand-mounds  by 
the  sea,  but  a  tract  of  tumultuous  ground,  often  extending 
for  a  couple  of  miles  inland,  where  the  visitor  is  surrounded 
by  a  bewildering  profusion  of  broken  conical  hills,  sometimes 
rising  to  a  height  of  200  feet.  The  whole  scene  leaves  a 
sense  of  confusion  on  the  mind,  which  has  a  logical  basis. 
These  hills  ought,  according  to  the  ordinary  course  of  Na- 


COUNTRY    LIFE  241 

ture,  to  be  connected  in  system,  to  be  intersected  by  continu- 
ous valleys,  and  to  conform  to  a  certain  order.  That  is 
the  unconscious  feeling  which  arises  in  the  mind  of  any  one 
who  has  lived  among  hilly  landscape  as  it  is  ordinarily  made. 
But  here  the  usual  process  of  the  formation  of  landscape  has 
been  reversed.  Instead  of  being  carved  out  by  water,  the  hills 
have  been  built  up  by  wind,  which  night  and  day,  from  cen- 
tury to  century,  blows  in  a  grey  rain  of  sand — grains  from  the 
fringe  of  the  North  Sea,  a  rain  which  builds  in  place  of 
destroying.  It  forms  hills  and  hollows,  but  neither  lines 
of  hills  nor  continuous  valleys.  Sometimes  the  polders  run 
up  to  the  very  edge  of  the  dunes,  separated  from  them  by  a 
narrow  ditch,  on  one  side  of  which  grow  the  plants  of  the 
marsh,  on  the  other  the  herbage  of  the  desert.  More  often 
a  belt  of  sound  meadows  with  a  soil  of  mixed  peat  and 
sand  intervenes.  Sheep  can  be  fed  all  the  year  round  on 
these  without  danger  from  fluke.  Then  the  dunes  begin, 
at  first  in  little  rolling  mounds,  and  gradually  rising  into 
steep  hills  and  hollows.  The  seaweed  side  undergoes  a  kind 
of  cultivation.  Whenever  the  sand  is  blowing,  it  is  planted 
with  little  branches  of  maram  grass,  or  "  helm,"  as  it  is 
called  in  Holland.  This  is  a  state  work,  supervised  by  a 
kind  of  Local  Government  Board  exercising  general  control 
over  this  natural  barrier  in  the  interests  of  the  public.  It 
can  even  compel  owners  to  kill  down  the  rabbits,  if  their 
numbers  threaten  to  destroy  the  cohesion  of  the  surface. 
But  the  greater  part  of  the  hills  is  covered  by  natural  vegeta- 
tion so  beautiful  and  so  adapted  to  its  place  that  the  visitor 
is  kept  in  a  constant  state  of  admiration  as  he  recognises  its 


242  HOLLAND 

place  in  the  general  scheme  of  Nature  round.  When  the 
sand  begins  to  set  among  the  "  helm,"  it  is  soon  covered  by 
the  dwarfed  vegetation  of  the  dunes.  This  reduction  of 
plants  to  almost  microscopic  size  is  a  common  phenomenon 
of  barren  or  inclement  tracts.  It  is  seen  in  the  upper  levels 
of  mountains  and  on  the  fringe  of  the  "  barren  lands  "  of 
North  America.  But  there  climate  rather  than  soil  is  at 
fault.  In  the  dunes  the  climate  is  perfect,  and  the  soil  only  is 
deficient.  The  plants  live  on  air,  not  by  water,  and  flourish 
gaily  in  a  kind  of  vegetable  Liliput.  The  first  to  appear  are 
tiny  spots  and  spores  of  moss,  among  and  around  which  is  fine 
grass,  hardly  higher  than  the  pile  of  plush  velvet.  Among 
this  are  wild  pansies  and  blue  violets,  so  tiny  that  an  elf  of 
the  court  of  Queen  Mab  might  wear  them  in  his  buttonhole. 
A  little  scarlet-leaved  creeper,  with  white  blossoms  and  for- 
get-me-not flowers  of  the  brightest  blue,  but  no  larger  than 
a  pin's  head,  also  grow  thickly  in  the  grass.  Bushes  dwindle 
to  creeping  plants.  A  dwarf-willow  runs  over  the  sand,  and 
blossom,  with  masses  of  green  flowers,  on  which  the  bees  wrork 
busily,  walking  from  flower  to  flower  on  the  sand.  The 
birch  becomes  subterranean,  descending  on  to  and  below  the 
surface  like  a  strawberry  runner  and  throwing  out  leaves 
from  the  ground.  Brambles  do  the  same,  and  that  beautiful 
bush,  the  buckthorn,  with  grey  leaves,  orange  flowers,  and 
short  thorns,  dwindles  to  the  size  of  rest-harrow.  Further 
on  in  the  dunes,  where  the  hills  grow  higher  and  more 
breezy  and  the  hollows  deep  and  stifling,  the  vegetation  in- 
creases in  size  until  it  becomes  normal.  The  moss  is  thick 
and  deep,  the  grass  long  and  rank,  the  buckthorn  forms 


COUNTRY   LIFE  243 

thickets,  and  the  willows  are  large  enough  to  shelter  innum- 
erable small  land  birds.  Dense  copses  of  fir  and  pine  cover 
the  inner  dunes,  and  in  these  the  song  of  the  nightingale,  the 
call  of  the  cuckoo,  and  the  crow  of  the  cock-pheasant  are 
heard  from  every  side  in  the  spring  days.  Hundreds  of  rab- 
bits and  big  hares  are  moving  in  the  hills,  and  pairs  of 
partridges  whirr  up  from  the  hollows.  Peewits,  oyster- 
catchers,  and  curlew  also  nest  in  numbers  in  the  dunes;  their 
presence  might  be  expected  there  by  any  naturalist.  But  the 
number  of  singing  birds  and  game  birds  in  this  apparently 
waterless  region  is  quite  astonishing.  On  the  writer's  first 
expedition  into  the  dunes  he  pointed  out  this  anomaly  to  a 
friend  who  had  been  some  years  resident  in  Holland,  and 
remarked  that  the  appearance  of  birds  in  this  way  is  described 
by  travellers  in  the  Soudan  and  Arabian  deserts  as  a  sure 
indication  of  the  presence  of  water.  So  it  is  in  the  dunes  of 
Holland.  When  the  North  Sea  canal  was  cut,  some  English 
engineers  were  discussing  the  need  for  a  good  water  supply 
for  The  Hague.  As  all  the  land  is  flat,  except  in  the  big 
sand-hills,  a  pure  supply  seemed  an  impossibility.  A  sports- 
man present,  who  knew  the  dunes  well,  declared  that  to  his 
knowledge  there  was  fresh  water  in  the  sand-hills.  There 
were  certain  spots,  he  said,  where  the  grass  was  always  green, 
and  where,  after  rain,  hares  and  birds  came  to  drink.  This 
was  found  to  be  the  case.  The  Municipality  of  The  Hague 
acted  on  the  hint,  and  cut  a  deep  trench,  two  miles  in  length 
and  twenty  yards  wide  at  the  bottom,  through  the  heart  of 
the  dunes  four  miles  from  the  town.  This  is  one  of  the 
many  surprises  awaiting  the  explorer  of  the  sand-hills.  After 


244  HOLLAND 

walking  for  miles  in  the  waterless  dunes  he  is  confronted  by 
this  trench,  like  a  deep  railway  cutting,  at  the  bottom  of 
which  lies  the  long  dark  line  of  water,  lapping  against  the 
timber  which  lines  the  lowest  levels  of  the  trench,  and  bor- 
dered by  masses  of  burdock,  willow-herb,  meadow-sweet,  and 
other  stream-side  plants.  In  autumn  there  is  capital  rough 
shooting  in  the  dunes,  especially  in  those  belonging  to  the 
Queen  of  Holland.  Teams  of  spaniels  are  the  best  dogs 
for  use,  as  the  cover  is  often  thick,  and  the  swarms  of  rabbits 
lie  out  in  the  "  helm,"  buckthorn  bushes,  and  little  dwarf- 
pine  copses.  The  great  art  of  rabbiting  in  the  dunes  is  to 
creep  carefully  to  the  top  of  the  sand-hill,  then  run  over  the 
crest  and  get  a  snapshot  at  the  rabbits  as  they  disappear  on 
the  other  side.  The  partridges  lie  well  in  the  hollows,  and 
at  certain  times  there  are  plenty  of  woodcock,  which  feed  in 
the  wet  "  polders  "  at  night  and  lie  in  the  dunes  by  day. 
There  is  another  form  of  sport  of  humble  kind  very  dear  to 
the  poorer  people,  who  have  scraped  out  little  farms  of  a  few 
acres  on  the  edge  of  the  dunes,  and  grow  crops  of  vegetables 
and  potatoes  on  the  peat  uncovered  by  their  labour.  It  is 
the  catching  of  small  birds  on  the  "  vinkie  baans."  A 
"  baan  "  is  the  Dutch  name  for  any  flat  space,  and  "vinkies  " 
are,  of  course,  our  finches.  In  spring  not  a  bird  is  molested 
in  the  country,  except  those,  like  the  plovers  and  redshanks, 
whose  eggs  are  eaten,  but  in  the  autumn  migration  every 
small  bird  which  arrives  is,  if  possible,  netted  or  snared. 
The  tens  of  thousands  of  hen  chaffinches  which  cross  the 
North  Sea  are  the  main  harvest  of  the  season,  as  they  are  used 
to  garnish  dishes  of  pheasants  and  other  game.  The  "  vinkie 


COUNTRY   LIFE  245 

baans "  are  smooth  places  levelled  near  the  netters'  huts. 
Call-birds,  birds  in  cages,  and  chaffinches  tied  to  strings  sur- 
round the  clap-net ;  and  in  these  from  200  to  300  chaffinches 
a  day  are  taken,  the  wholesale  price  for  which  is  3*  ^d 
a  hundred.  As  tne  season  goes  on,  the  number  decreases,  but 
the  price  rises;  so  the  "  vinkie  baan  "  is  still  profitable.  Wood- 
cocks are  also  netted  in  the  rides  in  the-  woods.  But  no  one 
can  do  this  without  a  license,  and  such  licenses  are  only  issued 
to  landowners.  In  the  absence  of  moving  streams  the  wood- 
cock can  find  no  food  in  Holland  when  a  frost  sets  in.  Till 
then  they  are  plentiful  in  October  and  November,  and  even 
later  in  a  mild  season.  Fishing  does  not  Tank  high  among 
the  country  pursuits  of  Holland;  though  as  a  business,  on 
the  coast,  it  is  managed  with  great  skill  and  profit.  The 
salmon  netting  in  the  upper  tidal  waters  of  the  Scheldt  is 
also  practised  with  great  success.  But  there  are  no  trout; 
and  tench  are  the  main  object  of  the  canal  fisherman.  In 
April  the  tench  begin  to  move,  and  travel  in  great  numbers 
to  different  waters  from  those  which  they  lay  in  during  the 
winter.  Then  they  are  netted,  and  later  in  the  year,  when 
they  are  in  better  condition,  are  angled  for.  But  the  people 
are  habitually  too  busy  to  take  readily  to  the  contemplative 
recreation  of  the  "  bank  angler."  What  they  really  enjoy 
is  a  fair,  skating,  or  the  one  distinctly  Dutch  sport,  the  Hard- 
riverij.  This  delightful  word  (pronounced  "  hard-drivery  ") 
is  Dutch  for  a  trotting  match.  It  was  from  Holland, 
through  the  old  Dutch  settlers  of  the  colony,  before  New 
Amsterdam  was  taken  by  the  fleets  of  Charles  II.  and  re- 
named New  York,  that  our  American  cousins  got  their  taste 


246  HOLLAND 

for  trotting  horses.  All  classes,  from  the  nobleman  to  the 
farmer,  grow  excited  over  the  survivals  of  the  chariot  race, 
and  their  level  roads  have  naturally  led  to  the  breeding  of 
horses  exactly  suited  for  gig  driving  at  high  speed.  The 
breed  is  indigeneous  to  Friesland,  though  many  are  bred  in 
Guelderland.  Most  of  the  horses  are  shaped  like  a  small 
edition  of  the  English  shire  horse,  short  and  compact,  with 
very  strong  quarters  and  well  sloped  shoulders.  They  do 
not  show  the  quality  of  the  Norfolk  or  Orloff  trotter,  as  the 
neck  and  head  are  coarser,  and  they  have  generally  a  good 
deal  of  hair  at  the  heels;  but  for  pace,  over  a  short  course, 
it  is  doubtful  if  either  could  equal  them.  The  trotting 
matches  are  run  in  heats  like  coursing  matches,  except  that 
in  each  a  horse  must  win  the  best  out  of  three  courses.  At 
The  Hague  these  races  are  held  in  a  fine  avenue  running 
from  the  great  wood  to  the  "  Maalibaan,"  or  parade  ground. 
The  course  is  on  pounded  cockle-shells,  and  wide  enough  for 
two  gigs  to  race  abreast.  A  score  of  entries  is  not  uncommon. 
The  horses  are  owned  by  men  of  all  degrees,  count,  baron,  or 
farmer,  and  the  gigs  picked  out  with  gold,  and  the  animals 
decorated  with  ribbons  make  a  fine  show.  The  pairs  go  off 
with  a  flying-start,  at  the  sound  of  a  bugle,  and  if  the  two 
vehicles  are  not  level  when  they  pass  the  line,  the  bugle 
sounds  again,  and  they  start  afresh.  The  horses  are  steadied, 
and  as  they  once  more  pass  the  line  the  driver  shakes  the 
reins — for  no  whip  is  allowed,  and  the  pair  fly  down  the 
avenue  at  top  speed,  their  hind  legs  tucked  under  them,  and 
their  fore  feet  coming  out  like  pistons.  When  the  final  heats 
are  run,  the  excitement  grows  intense.  Unlike  our  flat 


COUNTRY    LIFE  247 

racing,  the  Hardriverij  victory  often  falls  to  some  compara- 
tively poor  owner  of  a  trotter.  The  count  and  the  farmer 
shout  encouragement  as  their  gigs  rush  by,  and  the  friends 
of  each  are  equally  demonstrative  in  their  different  ways. 
If  the  farmer  wins,  the  success  is  celebrated  that  evening  with 
an  enthusiasm  which  could  not  be  exceeded  in  Yorkshire. 
The  Dutch  are  generally  conceded  a  phlegmatic  race;  but 
they  keep  an  immense  reserve  of  excitement  strictly  sup- 
pressed, and  when  this  finds  vent,  not  even  Italians  can  be 
wilder.  That  evening  half  a  dozen  well-to-do  farmers  and 
their  wives  may  be  met  dancing  arm  in  arm  down  the  Spui 
Straat,  singing  at  the  tops  of  their  voices,  the  owner  of  the 
winner  beating  time  as  he  dances  backwards  in  front  of  them. 
At  the  end  of  April  or  the  beginning  of  May  outdoor  life 
in  Holland  is  most  enjoyable.  The  tulip  fields  still  show, 
the  flowers  of  the  later  sorts,  and  the  bird  life  is  most  inter- 
esting when  the  nesting  season  is  beginning.  Locomotion  is 
so  easy  in  a  country  where  every  road  is  flat,  steam-trams  and 
light  railways  common,  and  the  roads  perfect  for  cycling, 
that  all  the  varieties  of  country  scenery  may  be  enjoyed  with- 
out sleeping  away  from  the  hotel. 


THE  DUTCH  PEASANTRY 

S.  I.  DE  ZUYLEN  DE  NYEVELT 

A  BEING  more  conservative  than  the  ordinary  Dutch 
peasant  can  scarcely  be  found  anywhere  in  Europe. 
This  old-fashioned  person  is  not,  as  a  rule,  burdened 
with  political  theories.  Yet  he  has  an  important  share  in 
the  local  government.  He  is  free  from  the  noisy  self-asser- 
tion of  the  newly-fledged  politician,  and  makes  use  of  his 
rights  simply  as  a  matter  of  course.  What  I  shall  have  to 
say  will  refer  mainly  to  the  central  provinces  of  Holland  and 
Utrecht,  and,  less  directly,  to  those  of  Zeeland  (in  the 
.south)  and  Gelderland  (in  the  east).  In  the  other  provinces 
the  situation  is,  in  many  respects,  widely  different. 

The  majority  of  the  farmers  of  South  Holland  and  Utrecht 
are  tenants.  Many  of  the  farms  have  been  held  by  the 
same  families  for  generations.  The  law  of  the  subdivision 
of  property  (the  same  as  in  France)  has  not  affected  the 
peasantry  as  much  as  one  would  suppose.  The  son  who, 
either  as  owner  or  as  tenant,  has  the  family  farm  for  his 
share  of  the  paternal  inheritance  gives  an  equivalent  in  money 
to  his  brothers  and  sisters,  or  else  a  share  in  the  profits. 

In  the  opinion  of  an  expert,  tenant-farmers  are  better  off 
than  peasant  proprietors.  The  same  authority  considers  that 
a  small  farm  can  be  managed  more  profitably  than  a  com- 
paratively large  one  (leaving  the  very  large  ones  out  of  the 
question).  The  small  farmer  has  the  capital  necessary  for 

248 


THE   DUTCH   PEASANTRY     249 

working  a  farm  of  30  "hectares"  (22^  acres)  with  profit. 
Even  20  "  hectares  "  is  preferable  to  60.  More  land  entails 
greater  working  expenses  than  can  be  properly  met. 

The  small  farmer  works  on  old-fashioned  principles,  and 
knows  little  of  "  scientific  farming."  He  is  inclined  to  be 
sceptical  about  modern  improvements,  and  has  a  low  opinion 
of  the  doctrines  propounded  by  the  black-coated  theorists 
from  the  "  Agricultural  College,"  who  lecture  throughout 
the  country.  On  the  other  hand,  he  is  thoroughly  hard- 
working and  thrifty;  his  wife  is  no  less  so.  He  has  none  of 
the  wants  which  usually  accompany  a  higher  culture.  In 
fact,  he  lives  much  as  the  better-class  labourer  does.  It  is 
difficult  for  the  outsider  to  realise  the  social  gulf  that  yawns 
between  them.  For,  although  the  gulf  is  sometimes  crossed, 
as  a  rule,  woe  betide  the  labourer  who  dares  to  aspire  to  the 
hand  of  a  farmer's  daughter,  or  the  farmer's  son  who  would 
fetch  his  bride  from  the  neighbouring  cottage.  Yet,  in  out- 
ward appearance  there  is  not  much  difference  between  them. 
They  wear  dresses  of  the  same  kind:  only  the  close  observer 
will  detect  that  the  farmer's  Sunday  coat  is  a  trifle  less  shiny 
than  that  of  the  labourer,  and  that  his  wife's  cap  is  of  real 
lace,  and  her  best  apron  a  black  silk  one,  while  the  humbler 
woman  is  content  with  imitation  lace  and  a  checked  cotton 
apron.  Both  women  claim  no  higher  title  than  that  of 
"vrouw"  (the  German  "  frau,"  in  Holland  given  only  to 
the  women  of  lower  orders)  ;  the  hands  of  both  are  red  with 
honest  labour,  and  in  education  and  refinement  they  are 
quite  on  a  par.  As  regards  character,  most  people,  I  think, 
would  give  the  palm  to  the  labouring  class.  The  farmer  is 


250  HOLLAND 

too  often  consumed  by  the  love  of  money,  and,  consequently, 
hard  and  grasping.  The  labourer  is  not  tempted  in  the  same 
way.  He  can  seldom  make  money,  and  must  be  contented 
with  his  wages.  On  his  lower  scale  of  the  social  ladder 
there  are  more  opportunities  for  the  interchange  of  friendly 
offices,  which  foster  a  spirit  of  kindness  that  raises  and  softens 
the  character. 

The  manners  of  both  classes  are  awkward,  gruff  and 
unprepossessing.  All  that  can  be  said  in  the  people's  favour 
is  that  they  are  free  from  servility  and  insincerity.  This 
unattractive  exterior  often  hides  true  respect  and  attachment. 
Simple  and  unsophisticated  as  they  are,  they  still  acknowledge 
the  rule  of  a  Mrs.  Grundy,  and  obey  her  unwritten  laws. 
For  example,  whilst  the  lower  orders  in  the  town  seldom 
wear  mourning,  the  poorest  labourer  puts  his  family  into 
black  after  a  death.  It  is  true  that  the  dyeing-pot  has 
something  to  do  with  this  transformation  of  the  family 
wardrobe. 

The  staple  food  of  both  classes  is  bread,  cheese,  vegetables, 
potatoes  and  salted  pork.  The  labourer  fattens  and  kills 
one  or  two  pigs  every  year ;  the  farmer  a  few  more,  according 
to  the  size  of  his  establishment.  The  farmer,  usually,  once 
a  year  cures  the  meat  of  one  or  two  cows  for  his  own  use. 
The  labourer  growrs  his  own  vegetables  in  the  small  plot  of 
ground  that  he  always  rents.  The  women  of  the  family 
generally  have  the  care  of  this;  and,  except  in  haymaking- 
time,  it  is  all  the  field  labour  that  is  usually  done  by  them 
in  the  provinces  of  which  we  speak,  in  the  greatest  part  of 
which  the  wages  of  a  farm  labourer  are  about  two  shillings 


THE    DUTCH    PEASANTRY     251 

or  two  shillings  and  sixpence  a  day  at  ordinary  times,  and 
three  shillings  and  fourpence  in  haymaking.  This  is  in  the 
rich  clay-soil  districts.  In  other  parts  of  the  country  the  rate 
of  wages  is  much  lower — about  one  shilling  a  day  in  the 
summer  and  eightpence  or  tenpence  in  winter;  but  living  is 
cheaper  and  rents  are  lower  there.  The  women  in  these  dis- 
tricts do  more  field  work,  much  to  the  detriment  of  their 
homes  and  families. 

Of  course,  there  is  a  great  difference  between  the  farm- 
house and  the  cottage.  In  the  prosperous  districts,  however, 
both  are  models  of  order  and  cleanliness.  There  are  two 
kinds  of  farm-houses — the  new,  which,  seen  from  the  front, 
resembles  an  ordinary  dwelling-house  in  the  country  towns, 
and  is  gaudy  with  fresh  paint  and  red  tiles;  and  the  old, 
with  its  gabled  and  thatched  roof,  which  time  has  mellowed 
into  a  fit  subject  for  the  painter's  brush. 

The  old  farm-house  usually  consists  of  a  kitchen,  a  large 
living-room,  a  cheese-room,  a  dairy,  two  small  bedrooms  in 
the  garret,  and  at  the  back  (forming  part  of  the  main  build- 
ing) ,  the  big  cow-stable  with  its  huge  loft,  and  a  wide  space 
in  the  middle,  where  threshing  and  winnowing  are  still  done 
in  primitive  fashion.  Hay-ricks  with  movable  roofs  on 
four  poles,  various  barns  or  sheds,  and  an  outside  kitchen, 
called  the  "  baking-house,"  where  the  rough  work  is  done 
(food  cooked  for  the  cattle,  etc.),  surrounded  the  main 
building. 

The  "  baking-house "  is  often  used  as  a  living-room  in 
summer,  which  is  more  cheerful  than  the  solemn  apartment 
into  which  the  visitor  is  invariably  ushered.  A  wide  chimney 


252  HOLLAND 

lined  with  tiles  stretches  nearly  across  one  side  of  this  room ; 
but  the  open  fire  on  the  hearth  has  long  ago  disappeared  and 
given  place  to  an  ugly  stove.  Quaint  brass  fire-irons  hang 
behind  it,  and  on  either  side  is  an  armchair,  differing  from 
its  humbler  brethren  only  in  the  possession  of  wooden  arms. 
If  there  is  a  baby  in  the  family,  it  is  likely  to  be  reposing  in 
a  cradle  with  green  baize  curtains  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
fireplace,  in  defiance  of  all  laws  of  health.  Two  or  three 
large  cupboards,  sometimes  handsomely  carved,  always  kept 
well  polished,  stand  against  the  whitewashed  walls.  One 
of  them  generally  has  glass  doors  in  the  upper  part;  and  on 
its  shelves  the  family  china — often  of  great  value — is  exposed 
to  view.  Unfortunately,  these  heirlooms  in  old  families  have 
been  largely  bought  up  by  enterprising  Jews.  Sometimes, 
however,  sentiment  has  proved  stronger  than  the  love  of 
money,  and  the  farmer  has  not  parted  with  his  family  pos- 
sessions. In  a  corner  of  the  room  a  chintz  curtain,  or  some- 
times a  double  door,  shows  where  the  big  press-bed  is — an 
institution  of  pre-hygienic  times  which,  to  the  peasant  mind, 
has  no  inconveniences  whatever.  In  the  middle  of  the  room 
a  table 'stands  on  a  carpet;  and,  as  people  take  off  their  shoes 
at  the  door  and  go  about  in  their  thick  woollen  stockings, 
neither  it  nor  the  painted  floor  ever  show  signs  of  mud. 
Another  table  stands  near  one  of  the  windows,  of  which 
there  are  two  or  three.  The  linen  blinds  so  closely  meet 
the  spotless  muslin  curtains,  which  are  drawn  stiffly  across 
the  lower  panes  on  two  horizontal  sticks,  that  a  stray  sun- 
beam can  hardly  make  its  way  into  the  room,  even  if  it  has 
been  able  to  struggle  through  the  thick  branches  of  the  dipt 


THE    DUTCH    PEASANTRY     253 

limetrees  that  adorn  the  front  of  the  house.  On  one  of  the 
tables  a  tray  stands,  with  a  hospitable  array  of  cups  and 
saucers,  teapot,  etc.,  and  is  protected  from  the  dust  by  a 
crochet  or  muslin  cover.  The  huge  family  Bible,  with  its 
huge  brass  clasps,  has  an  honourable  place,  often  on  a  stand 
by  itself.  Rough  woodcuts  or  cheap  prints,  and  a  group  of 
family  photographs,  which  do  not  flatter  the  originals,  are 
hung  on  the  walls.  The  framed  and  glazed  sampler,  worked 
in  wools  by  the  farmer's  wife  in  her  young  days,  usually 
makes  a  "  dessus  de  porte."  The  alphabet  is  the  principal 
part  of  this  extraordinary  work  of  art;  but  it  bears  various 
other  figures,  which,  on  patient  investigation,  appears  to 
have  some  resemblance  to  certain  birds  and  flowers. 

The  life  which  is  led  by  the  inmates  of  these  unpretending 
dwellings  is  one  of  much  work  and  little,  if  any,  play.  It  is 
difficult  to  say  whether  the  austerity  of  the  greatest  part  of 
the  community  in  Protestant  districts  is  a  result  of  the 
lamentable  coarseness  exhibited  in  the  amusements  of  its 
gayer  members  on  such  occasions  as  the  annual  fair,  or 
"  kermesse,"  still  held  in  some  country  towns,  or  whether  the 
latter  is  a  reaction  against  the  former.  It  is  a  fact  that  both 
extremes  are  found  among  the  peasantry,  almost  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  more  healthy  views  of  this  side  of  life. 

The  prose  of  this  dull  existence  is  often  relieved  by  family 
affections.  Some  of  the  peasants,  indeed,  seem  to  be  devoid 
of  much  feeling,  and  one  is  tempted  to  ask  which  are  more 
important  in  their  eyes — the  cattle  that  bring  in  money,  or 
the  children  that,  at  first,  only  bring  expense.  But  pretty 
pictures  of  bright  domestic  happiness,  and,  as  their  sad  coun- 


254  HOLLAND 

terpart,  instances  of  heartrending  grief  after  bereavement, 
are  numerous  enough  to  refute  a  general  charge  of  cal- 
lousness. 

No  class  of  people  in  whose  lives  religion  holds  so  much 
place  as  it  undoubtedly  does  in  those  of  the  Dutch  peasantry 
is  utterly  commonplace  and  uninteresting.  The  Roman 
Catholics,  who  are  a  large  minority,  are  generally  strict  in 
their  religious  observances;  while  the  Protestants  are  dis- 
tinguished by  an  intensely  theological  bias.  It  is,  perhaps, 
the  strongest  point  of  contrast  between  them  and  the  rest  of 
the  world  that  they  are  as  eager  about  subtle  points  of 
divinity  as  men  were  two  or  three  centuries  ago.  They 
often,  in  their  intense  earnestness  and  intolerance,  remind 
one  of  Cromwell's  Roundheads,  or  of  the  characters  in  Mrs. 
Beecher-Stowe's  New  England  stories. 

Minds  of  this  type  are  scarcely  likely  to  be  open  to  the 
various  influences  that  are  so  busily  at  work  elsewhere  to 
make  people  restless  and  discontented.  On  the  whole,  the 
rural  population  is  still  in  the  happy  condition  (described  by 
the  English  Catechism)  of  people  who  "  learn  and  labour 
truly  to  get  their  own  living,  and  do  their  duty  in  that  state 
of  life  into  which  it  hath  pleased  God  to  call  them."  Still 
a  peaceful  tendency  to  seek  a  higher  place  in  the  social  scale 
is  not  quite  absent  in  the  country,  especially  among  the 
"  aristocracy  "  in  the  village,  the  carpenter,  the  mason,  the 
house-painter,  and  the  village  tradespeople.  The  daughters 
often  think  themselves  "  too  good  "  for  domestic  service  and 
become  schoolmistresses  if  they  can  qualify  themselves. 

This  class  tends  to  migrate  to  the  towns.     There  is  less 


THE    DUTCH    PEASANTRY     255 

work  for  them  than  there  used  to  be  in  the  country,  since 
so  many  small  gentlefolk  who  used  to  live  in  or  near  the 
villages  have  gone  to  towns  attracted  by  educational  and 
other  advantages.  Also  there  used  to  be  flourishing  board- 
ing-schools in  many  villages,  and  these  have  been  swept  away 
by  the  cheap  "  higher  schools  "  established  by  Government. 
Migration  to  towns  has  not  yet  taken  very  serious  propor- 
tions; and  the  nucleus  remains — the  steady,  industrious,  con- 
servative, loyal  population,  which  is  a  source  of  strength  and 
stability  to  the  country. 

The  lot  of  the  peasantry  is  certainly  happier  than  that  of 
the  working-classes  in  the  town.  At  least,  in  the  central 
provinces  there  is  little  poverty  among  them.  Drunkenness, 
the  cause  of  so  much  want  in  the  towns,  is  comparatively  rare 
in  the  country.  By  thrift  and  good  management  the  labourer, 
especially  if  he  have  a  capable  wife,  can  get  on  fairly  well. 
Instead  of  living  from  hand  to  mouth,  he  has  his  comfort- 
able provisions  of  pork  and  potatoes,  and,  in  winter,  of  salted 
vegetables,  and  firewood  to  fall  back  upon.  Old  age  is  the 
most  trying  time.  It  is  seldom  the  labourer  can  make  suffi- 
cient, if  any,  provision  for  the  days  of  failing  strength.  Still, 
the  growing  practice  of  putting  money  into  the  Post  Office 
Savings  Banks  proves  that  there  are  those  who  lay  by  for  an 
evil  day.  It  is  usual  to  belong  to  a  "  burial  fund,"  for  it  is 
considered  a  dire  disgrace  to  be  buried  by  the  parish.  The 
aged  labourer  gets  regular  outdoor  relief  from  the  parish. 
If  he  can  live  with  a  married  son  or  daughter,  his  declining 
years  may  be  very  comfortable.  Often,  however,  he  is 
boarded  by  the  parish  at  a  stranger's  house  for  a  small  sum. 


256  HOLLAND 

His  lot  depends  on  the  character  of  the  inmates  and  is  often 
wretched.  I  knew  a  woman  who  was  a  martyr  to  rheuma- 
tism. The  neighbours  considered  her  sufferings  to  be  "  judg- 
ment "  for  her  cruel  treatment  of  an  old  pauper  who  had 
been  confided  to  her  care. 

It  is  necessary  to  repeat  that  all  these  remarks  refer  mainly 
to  the  central  provinces.  In  the  north,  farming  is  on  a  larger 
scale.  More  use  is  made  of  machinery,  and  the  farmers  are 
better  educated  and  often  very  wealthy. 

In  Friesland,  certain  causes — such  as  the  increasing  num- 
ber of  absentee  landlords — have  produced  great  distress 
among  the  labouring  classes,  especially  in  the  "  peat  districts." 
Indeed,  that  province  has  of  late  been  frequently  called  "  our 
Ireland."  There  is  considerable  emigation  to  America  and 
elsewhere  from  this  and  the  adjoining  provinces.  Social 
agitators  have  been  busily  at  work,  and  have  been  success- 
ful in  the  endeavour  to  sow  seeds  of  discontent  and  rebel- 
lion. 

It  now  remains  to  be  seen  how  these  people  manage  their 
local  affairs.  The  country  is  divided  into  "  communities  " 
(French  "communes");  each  town  forms  a  single  and 
separate  "  commune."  The  size  of  the  country  "  communes  " 
is  unequal.  Sometimes  two  or  three  villages,  if  near  each 
other,  form  one  of  these  parishes;  more  often  each  village  is 
the  centre  of  a  parish.  The  head  of  the  parish  is  the  burgo- 
master (mayor),  who  is  named  by  the  Crown,  but  draws  his 
salary  from  the  village  budget.  He  is  often  a  resident  coun- 
try gentleman,  who  is  glad  of  an  additional  influence  and 
authority  which  the  office  bestows.  Sometimes  a  superior 


THE    DUTCH    PEASANTRY    257 

farmer  fills  it.  The  post  is  much  coveted  by  not  over- 
ambitious  university  men  with  some  private  means,  who  are 
satisfied  with  a  modest,  but  not  unimportant  sphere  of  action. 
It  is  sometimes  a  stepping-stone  to  a  seat  in  the  Provincial 
States  or  in  Parliament. 

The  burgomaster  presides  over  the  town  or  village  Coun- 
cil, but  has  no  vote  unless  he  be  elected  a  member  of  that 
body.  The  electors  are  all  the  male  inhabitants  who  pay  a 
certain  share  in  the  taxes.  The  sum  that  gives  one  a  right 
to  vote  for  the  Council  is  lower  than  that  required  for  the 
Provincial  States  and  for  Parliament. 

Members  of  the  Council  (who  number  from  seven  to 
thirty-nine,  according  to  population)  are  elected  for  six 
years.  Every  second  year  there  is  an  election  for  a  third 
part.  They  are  unpaid;  but  the  Council  has  the  option  of 
giving  "  presence  money  "  for  each  sitting.  The  Council 
meets  at  least  six  times  a  year.  The  executive  power  is 
vested  in  the  burgomaster  and  two  or  more  "  wethouders  " 
(French  echevins),  chosen  from  the  members.  The  latter 
office  is  paid,  and  is  no  sinecure  in  large  places. 

Within  certain  limits  the  autonomy  of  the  parishes  is  very 
real.  Some  decisions  of  the  Council,  however,  must  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  approval  of  the  "  States  Deputies,"  a  permanent 
committee  of  the  Provincial  States,  presided  over  by  the 
Queen's  "  Commissary,"  or  Governor,  who  is  appointed  by 
the  Crown.  The  village  Council  may  appeal  from  the  States 
to  the  Crown. 

The  Council  names  all  parish  officials,  such  as  the 
"regeveur"  (tax-gatherer),  the  secretary,  the  schoolmaster. 


258  HOLLAND 

The  burgomaster  is  the  head  of  the  police  (except  in  large 
towns).  The  Council  has  the  power  of  making  police  regu- 
lations. It  fixes  the  yearly  budget  and  raises  local  taxes.  Its 
income  is  derived  from  two  sources:  a  certain  percentage  on 
the  general  Government  taxes  (on  houses,  servants,  horses, 
etc.) ;  and  a  kind  of  income-tax,  the  amount  of  which,  within 
certain  prescribed  limits,  it  has  the  power  of  fixing. 

The  village  Council  is  generally  composed  of  the  leading 
men  of  the  place:  sometimes  one  or  two  country  gentlemen, 
a  few  of  the  principal  farmers,  a  head-gardener,  a  well-to-do 
tradesman.  The  subtle  line  of  demarcation  that  divides  the 
labouring  class  from  the  higher  peasantry  is  apparent  here. 
A  mere  labourer  seldom  has  a  seat  in  the  Council. 

The  system  which  has  lasted  since  1853  was  partly  a 
continuation  of  long-established  municipal  rights.  In  its 
present  democratic  form  it  is  a  result  of  the  popular  move- 
ment which  was  the  "  contre  coup  "  in  Holland  of  the  revo- 
lutions that  occurred  elsewhere  in  1848.  It  is  considered  to 
work  well  on  the  whole,  even  by  those  who,  instead  of  hold- 
ing the  democratic  opinion  that  there  is  an  inherent  right 
in  eveiy  man  to  have  a  share  in  the  government,  incline  to 
the  more  practical  view  that  the  duty  of  bearing  the  burden 
and  responsibility  of  government  should  devolve  only  on 
persons  who  show  some  fitness  for  it.  The  electors  them- 
selves are  aware  of  a  certain  power  of  judging  for  themselves 
in  local  matters.  They  are  remarkably  independent  where 
local  elections  are  concerned,  while  in  general  elections  they 
are  apt  to  be  led  by  the  "  domine  "  (as  the  minister  is  called 
in  Holland,  like  the  schoolmasters  in  Scotland),  or  the 


THE    DUTCH    PEASANTRY     259 

priest,  or  their  landlord,  or  some  superior  person.  The 
Presbyterian  form  of  church  government,  which,  as  in  Scot- 
land, has  for  centuries  accustomed  the  peasants  to  hold  office 
as  elders  and  deacons,  may  have  trained  them  for  political 
self-government  as  well. 

Of  course,  there  are  drawbacks  to  this,  as  to  every  human 
institution.  The  Council  is  apt  to  be  arbitrary  in  the  matter 
of  local  taxation.  The  system  of  "  progression,"  which  is 
applied  to  some  taxes  in  Holland  (that  is,  the  system  of 
dividing  the  rate-payers  into  classes,  and  making  them  pay 
more  or  less,  relatively  as  well  as  positively,  according  to 
their  place  in  the  financial  scale),  enables  the  Council  to  let 
the  lion's  share  of  public  expenses  fall  on  the  unhappy  shoul- 
ders of  the  great  landowner  of  the  parish.  In  some  cases  the 
landowner  has  acted  as  the  Emperor  of  Germany  advised 
his  discontented  subjects  to  act,  and  has  turned  his  back 
upon  the  place. 

Another  institution  that  must  not  remain  unnoticed  is  the 
government  of  the  so-called  "  W 'aterschappen  "  (water  dis- 
tricts), which  cover  a  great  part  of  the  country.  As  every 
one  knows,  a  silent  warfare  is  being  constantly  carried  on  in 
Holland  against  the  danger  of  inundation  from  sea  and  river, 
and  it  is  only  by  an  elaborate  system  of  dykes  and  drainage 
that  a  great  part  of  the  land  is  made  habitable  and  productive. 
It  will  be  easily  understood  what  engineering  skill,  what 
unceasing  vigilance,  what  strict  and  careful  supervision,  and 
what  tremendous  expenses  are  involved  where  these  grave 
issues  are  concerned.  Now,  the  management  of  this  im- 
portant business  is  mainly  in  the  hands  of  private  persons, 


260  HOLLAND 

elected  by  all  landowners  within  a  certain  radius.  The 
expenses  are  met  by  a  tax  levied  among  them  according  to 
the  extent  of  their  property  in  the  district.  The  number  of 
votes  possessed  by  one  person  depends  on  the  number  of  acres 
which  he  owns  in  the  district ;  but  there  is  a  number  of  votes 
beyond  which  no  person  may  go.  Women  are  allowed  to 
vote  by  proxy.  The  possession  of  acres  to  a  certain  number 
makes  a  man  eligible  for  a  seat  on  the  "  board  "  that  governs 
the  district.  An  executive  committee  is  named  from  its  mem- 
bers ;  and  that  committee,  with  the  so-called  "  dijkgraaf " 
at  its  head  (literally,  dyke  count),  carries  on  the  usual  busi- 
ness. An  engineer  is  attached  to  the  larger  "  water-ships  " 
(to  use  the  Dutch  word).  The  windmills  that  used  to  be 
such  a  distinctive  feature  in  the  Dutch  landscape  are  fast 
disappearing.  Steam  engines,  of  which  there  are  four  differ- 
ent kinds,  are  used  for  keeping  the  water  out  of  the 
"polders"  (the  low  land  protected  by  dykes). 

In  ordinary  times  these  various  offices  are  no  sinecure.  In 
times  of  actual  danger,  it  is  impossible  to  overrate  their 
importance.  When  the  rivers  are  swollen  by  melted  snow 
from  the  mountains  in  Germany,  and  huge  blocks  of  ice  are 
borne  down  by  the  strong  current  with  startling  rapidity,  an 
army  of  watchers  guards  the  dykes  night  and  day.  Members 
of  the  governing  board  are  stationed  in  the  houses  built  at 
intervals  on  the  dykes.  If  a  crisis  occurs — if  a  gap  is  discov- 
ered in  the  dyke — they  are  invested  with  almost  unlimited 
powers.  Farmers,  with  their  carts  and  horses  and  labourers, 
are  pressed  into  service,  and  yield  prompt  and  willing 
obedience  to  the  most  arbitrary  order.  It  has  happened  that 


THE    DUTCH   PEASANTRY     261 

houses,  sheds  and  trees  have  been  used  to  stop  the  gap.  The 
common  danger  met,  the  common  deliverance  granted  must 
have  strengthened  the  bands  of  citizenship  between  the  men 
of  all  classes,  who  have  been  united  in  the  honest,  manly  duty 
of  guarding  their  hearths  and  homes. 


DUTCH  FISHERIES 

ALPHONSE  ESQUIROS 

IT  is  useless  to  quote  passages,  more  or  less  obscure,  which 
reveal  the  very  ancient  origin  of  the  maritime  fishing 
on  the  coast  of  the  Netherlands.  The  alimentation  of 
races  is  based,  at  the  commencement  of  the  social  stage,  on 
the  means  of  existence  nature  has  supplied  them  with.  The 
vicinity  of  forests  and  plains  has  made  hunting-peoples:  the 
vicinity  of  lakes,  rivers  and  the  sea  has  made  fishing-peoples. 
A  great  portion  of  the  population  of  Holland  has  lived  for 
centuries  on  the  produce  of  their  nets,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Netherlands  had  grafted  various  branches  of  commerce 
on  the  fishing-trade,  long  prior  to  the  War  of  Independence. 
The  Reformation  did  not  create  the  Netherlands;  but  even 
though  the  Dutch  fisheries  existed  before  the  religious  and 
political  revolution  that  freed  the  United  Provinces,  it  is 
equally  true  to  say  that  this  trade,  like  all  the  elements  of 
public  fortune,  derived  fresh  sap  and  vigour  from  liberty. 
It  was  only  then  that  the  country  felt  itself  live  in  its  pleni- 
tude, and  that  it  began,  according  to  the  remark  of  an  his- 
torian, "  to  enjoy  the  seas." 

According  to  the  nature  of  the  fish  found  in  the  North 
Sea,  the  Dutch  fishery  is  divided  into  several  branches;  but 
there  is  a  thoroughly  national  produce  which  may  serve  us 
as  a  type  to  determine  the  character  of  the  various  local 
fisheries,  and  that  is  the  herring.  It  is  supposed  that  the 

262 


DUTCH    FISHERIES  263 

herring  was  unknown  to  the  ancients,  for  none  have  as  yet 
been  found  in  the  Mediterranean.  This  product  of  the 
ocean  has  been  to  the  Netherlands  an  element  of  greatness 
and  prosperity:  the  herring,  by  being  placed  in  barrels, 
changed  the  historic  destinies  of  Holland,  and  with  them 
those  of  the  world  in  the  Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth  Cen- 
turies. A  trade  which  exerted  so  great  an  influence  over  the 
revolution  of  the  United  Provinces  and  the  events  that 
followed  it,  is  not  unworthy  of  our  attention.  So  long  as 
the  Dutch  fishery  annually  produces  above  fifty  million  bar- 
rels, it  will  count  among  the  largest  maritime  fisheries  of 
Europe. 

The  Dutch  distinguish  three  species  of  herrings:  (i)  the 
pickled  or  cagged  herring,  called  in  Dutch  gekaakte  haring, 
which  is  caught  off  the  north  coast  of  Scotland  during  the 
summer;  (2)  the  steur  haring,  caught  in  the  autumn  off  the 
Yarmouth  coast,  which  is  first  salted  and  afterwards  smoked, 
when  it  takes  the  name  of  bokking;  and  (3)  the  pan  haring, 
a  species  of  fresh  herring,  caught  in  the  Zuyder  Zee,  and 
serving  as  food  for  the  poorer  classes.  From  time  imme- 
morial, the  pickled  herring  fishers  have  established  the  seat 
of  their  guild  at  Vlaardingen  and  Maassluis — the  coasts  of 
Holland  are  lined  with  villages  whose  inhabitants,  like  those 
of  Scheveningen  and  Katwyk,  prepare  the  red  herring — 
while,  lastly,  the  towns  of  the  Zuyder  Zee,  and  specially  the 
islands  of  that  inner  sea,  for  instance,  Urk,  Shokland  and 
Maarken,  send  boats  to  catch  the  fresh  herring.  The  char- 
acter and  habits  change  according  to  the  nature  of  the  spot 
and  occupations,  and  the  longer  or  shorter  period  the  crews 


264  HOLLAND 

remain  out  at  sea.  What  does  not  change,  however,  is  the 
humble  majesty  of  this  brave  and  poor  population  which 
wrests  from  the  tempests  its  daily  food. 

The  little  town  of  Vlaardingen  (on  old  maps  Flerdling) 
announces  itself  by  a  steeple,  which  in  the  distance  bears  a 
strong  resemblance  to  a  ship's  mast,  and  which  rises  from  an 
ocean  of  verdure,  spotted  with  black  kine.  We  are  assured 
that  it  derives  its  name  from  an  old  river  of  which  nothing 
remains  but  a  mention,  more  or  less  honourable,  in  the 
archives  of  the  province.  At  the  present  day,  it  is  situated 
on  the  Meuse,  or,  to  speak  more  correctly,  on  an  arm  of  the 
Meuse,  which  is  divided  at  the  spot  by  an  island  of  recent 
formation.  The  vessels  lie  in  a  quiet  port  along  which  the 
storehouses  stand  on  the  quay,  severe-looking  buildings,  with 
openings  closed  with  wooden  shutters,  and  in  which  the 
fishing  implements  are  kept. 

From  a  few  of  these  unglazed  windows  hang  out  long 
nets  to  dry:  on  the  port,  men  with  faces  bronzed  by  the  sea 
wind  and  the  sun,  are  discharging  heavy  barrels  from  the 
vessels  which  have  brought  them  in.  These  vessels,  called 
bulzen-  or  doggers,  are  solidly  built,  for  the  most  part  of  oak, 
with  a  single  mast  and  a  large  square  sail,  which  is  lowered 
so  long  as  the  buss  is  at  rest.  It  is  impossible  to  regard 
without  a  feeling  of  respect  these  fishing-boats  which  have 
braved  the  northern  tempests;  some  bring  back  from  their 
last  voyage  noble  scars;  their  cobbled  sides,  their  sails  fre- 
quently torn  like  flags  after  an  action,  their  rusty  anchors, 
which  announce  honourable  service,  all  record  the  defiance 
they  have  hurled  at  the  elements. 


DUTCH    FISHERIES  265 

Vlaardlngcn  was  formerly  an  important  and  fortified 
town,  but  like  all  Dutch  towns  that  lie  by  the  sea,  it 
has  fallen  from  its  high  estate:  jam  pagus  est  qua  Troja  fult. 
In  the  small,  narrow  and  low  streets,  brick  houses,  bowed 
like  vessels  by  the  breeze,  shelter  the  households  of  the  fisher- 
men. These  abodes,  whose  cleanliness  is  their  whole  wealth, 
have  a  simple  and  modest,  but  in  no  way  sad,  aspect.  At 
Vlaardingen  you  meet,  during  summer,  only  women  and 
children  in  the  streets;  the  men  are  out  at  sea.  These  women 
dry  in  the  front  of  their  houses  the  linen  they  have  just 
washed,  or  else  they  work  at  the  nets.  Out  of  a  population 
of  7000  or  8000,  2000  are  fishermen;  the  rest  carry  on,  more 
or  less,  trades  relating  to  navigation.  There  are  four  docks 
in  which  fly-boats  are  built. 

Some  thirty  merchantmen  that  trade  with  the  Mediter- 
ranean anchor  in  the  port  several  times  a  year;  some  bring 
back  salt  from  Spain  and  Portugal,  with  which  the  herrings 
are  prepared.  At  the  door  of  some  brokers  there  is,  instead 
of  a  sign,  a  small  vessel,  painted  and  carved,  with  all  sail 
set.  Hence  everything  in  the  appearance  of  the  town,  in  the 
habits  and  external  signs,  reminds  you  of  a  seafaring  life. 

The  history  of  the  herring  fishery  ought  to  be  written  at 
Vlaardingen,  amongst  these  nets  which  had  such  weight  in 
the  destinies  of  the  world,  these  busses  which  for  a  long  time 
excited  the  jealousy  of  England,  and  the  poor  families  through 
whom  the  fortunes  of  the  Netherlands  were  to  a  great  extent 
raised.1 

1  The  herring  fishery  is  not  confined  to  Vlaardingen ;  busses  set  sail 
from  the  ports  of  Maassluis,  Zwartewaal,  Delftshaven,  Enkhuisen, 


266  HOLLAND 

Belgium  appears  to  have  been  the  cradle  of  this  fishery, 
but  toward  the  middle  of  the  Twelfth  Century  it  passed 
from  Flanders  into  Zealand.  Although  prolific,  the  capture 
of  this  fresh  fish  would  never  have  constituted  an  important 
branch  of  the  national  commerce  had  it  not  been  for  the  dis- 
covery made  about  the  year  1380,  by  William  Beukelszoon. 

It  was  this  man  who  invented  the  art  of  preparing  and 
preserving  herrings  with  salt.  Nothing  is  known  of  his  life 
save  that  he  was  born  at  Biervlict,  a  little  village  in  Zealand, 
but  there  are  few  discoveries  which  have  produced  such 
riches,  while  demanding  no  sacrifice  of  humanity.  Charles 
V.,  well  aware  what  Holland  owed  to  the  pickled  herring, 
determined  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  so  great  a  service 
rendered  to  the  country;  being  at  Biervlict  in  1536,  he  had 
a  monument  erected  to  Beukelszoon,  who  died  in  1397. 
There  are  few  instances  of  a  tombstone  so  well  deserved. 
The  Gospels  teach  us  that  one  of  the  disciples  found  in  the 
mouth  of  a  fish  a  piece  of  money  to  pay  the  tribute,  and  it  is 
the  history  of  Holland;  she  has  found  in  the  mouth  of  the 
herring  the  means  to  pay  her  enormous  taxation,  to  defend  a 
country  which  the  sea  was  ruining,  and  to  find  the  sources 
of  the  public  wealth. 

Another  circumstance  came  to  complete  Beukelszoon's 
discovery — the  first  large  net  for  the  herring  fishery  was 
manufactured  at  Hoorn  in  1416.  You  must  have  seen  at 

Amsterdam,  Ripp,  Middelharnis,  and  Wormerveer;  but  in  1853,  of 
ninety-three  vessels  constituting  the  flotilla,  for  the  great  fishery, 
sixty  hailed  from  Vlaardingen.  We  may,  therefore,  regard  the 
latter  town  as  the  centre  of  the  pickled  herring  trade. 


DUTCH    FISHERIES  267 

Vlaardingen  these  immense  nets  discharged  into  carts;  you 
must  have  reflected  on  the  myriads  of  herrings  which  they 
have  swallowed  up  for  more  than  four  centuries  past,  and 
on  the  historic  consequences  of  such  an  invention  in  order  to 
comprehend  all  the  usefulness  and  poetry  of  these  drag-nets. 
With  the  progress  made  in  the  art  of  catching  and  preserv- 
ing the  herring  the  fishery  extended,  and  then  altered  its 
place.  Towards  the  beginning  of  the  Fifteenth  Century  it 
was  established  at  Enkhuisen  and  at  Hoorn.  The  wars  with 
Spain  and  France  having  broken  out,  the  Zealanders  found 
more  profit  in  arming  their  vessels  and  skimming  the  seas. 
The  herring  had,  moreover,  changed  its  station;  it  had  left 
the  coasts  of  Norway,  Sweden  and  Denmark,  where  it  was 
then  caught,  for  those  of  Scotland,  where  it  is  still  found. 
This  inconstancy  in  the  movements  of  the  fish  is  no  peculiar 
instance;  other  seas  are  mentioned  in  which  the  herring  has 
appeared,  disappeared  and  reappeared  at  considerable  inter- 
vals of  time.  Scientific  calculations  have  hitherto  been  unable 
to  determine  the  law  of  these  movements. 

However  this  may  be,  the  herring  fishery  thus  passed  over 
almost  entirely  to  the  two  provinces  of  North  and  South 
Holland,  where  it  maintained  itself  for  a  long  period  at  a 
degree  of  considerable  prosperity. 

Up  to  recent  years,  the  departure  of  the  boats  for  the 
great  fishery  was  fixed  for  St.  John's  Day  (June  24th). 
This  departure  was  preceded  by  fetes,  and  a  book  of  old 
Dutch  songs  still  exists,  sung  by  the  fishermen  as  they  put  to 
sea.  Toasts  were  proposed  to  the  success  of  the  fishery,  and 
prayers  offered  up ;  at  last  sail  was  set,  and  the  peaceful 


268  HOLLAND 

flotilla  started  for  the  herring  conquest.  At  the  present  day 
the  doggers  start  at  the  beginning  of  June,  and  can  open  the 
fishery  at  once;  but  faithful  to  tradition,  or,  if  you  will,  to 
prejudice,  the  fishermen  take  advantage  of  this  new  liberty 
very  reluctantly.  "  The  herring,"  they  say,  in  their  simple 
language,  "  does  not  like  to  be  caught  before  St.  John's 
Day."  In  1755,  the  number  of  busses  that  started  for  the 
great  fishery  was  234;  in  1820,  it  was  122,  while  at  the 
present  day  it  is  90.  This  group  of  sails  proceeds  towards 
the  Scotch  coast,  two  vessels  of  war  accompanying  them  as 
an  escort.  The  fishermen  are  forbidden  to  land,  nor  must 
they  sell  their  fish  on  board.  The  flotilla  remains  off  the 
Shetlands,  Edinburgh,  and  the  English  coast.  The  reputa- 
tion of  the  Dutch  herring  depends  especially  on  the  strength 
of  the  doggers,  which  are  excellent  sea-boats,  and  their  build 
allows  them  to  throw  their  nets  into  very  deep  water,  where 
the  largest  herrings  are  found.  From  1300  to  1400  men 
take  part  in  the  labour;  the  herring  is  no  sooner  seized  by 
them  than  it  is  pickled,  that  is  to  say,  slit  up  with  a  knife- 
blade  and  placed  in  barrels;  salt  is  added,  which  turns  into 
brine  and  preserves  the  fish.  For  some  years  past  a  steamer 
has  accompanied  the  flotilla,  on  board  which  the  first  hundred 
barrels  are  placed,  and  it  carried  them  at  full  speed  to  the 
port  of  Vlaardingen. 

Formerly  the  arrival  of  the  first  herrings  was  the  occasion 
for  national  festivals,  a  ceremony  whose  brilliancy  has  dimin- 
ished with  the  importance  of  the  fishery.  At  the  present  day 
the  fishmongers  at  The  Hague,  Amsterdam  and  Rotterdam 
content  themselves  with  hoisting  a  flag  over  their  shop,  and 


DUTCH    FISHERIES  269 

hanging  up  a  crown  of  leaves.  The  first  herring  is  always 
carried  on  a  car  decorated  with  flags,  and  triumphantly 
offered  to  the  king,  who  gives  a  reward  of  500  florins  for  the 
present.  A  few  years  ago  even,  in  the  opening  days  of  the 
fishery,  rich  Dutchmen  offered  the  fishmongers  of  The  Hague 
a  ducat  apiece  for  herrings;  each  dealer  consequently  made 
interesting  sacrifices  to  be  the  first  to  obtain  this  gift  of  the 
sea  which  reached  Vlaardingen  on  the  wings  of  steam. 

The  same  vessels,  which  have  made  two  summer  voyages 
to  the  herring  fishery,  proceed  in  winter  to  catch  cod  (Kabel- 
jauwvisscherij}.  It  is  true  that  this  depends  partly  on  the 
age  of  the  doggers;  for  when  a  boat  is  too  aged,  it  cannot 
stand  the  winter  fishing.  The  crew  consists  of  twelve 
sailors,  who  receive  two  and  a  half  per  cent,  of  the  produce, 
the  captain  receiving  the  double.  The  North  Sea  is  also  the 
scene  of  this  fishery;  but  the  vessels  now  sail  to  the  coast  of 
Ireland  and  the  Dogger  Bank;  they  go  up  to  the  sixty-third 
degree. 

The  cod  fishery  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  celebrated  in 
the  social  history  of  Holland.  Like  that  of  the  herring,  it 
has  lost  much  of  its  ancient  prosperity.  The  life  of  the 
herring  fishers,  who  become  cod  fishers  in  winter,  is  entirely 
at  the  mercy  of  the  waves;  these  men  only  spend  two  or 
three  weeks  of  the  year  ashore.  When  they  return  to  Vlaar- 
dingen after  a  voyage,  it  is  to  start  again  directly.  Identified 
with  the  sea,  with  its  calmness  and  fury,  its  good  and  evil 
days,  they  live  on  the  presents  it  makes  them,  or,  to  speak 
more  correctly,  which  they  tear  from  it.  In  requital  of  this 
harsh  existence,  full  of  fatigue  and  toil,  and  exposed  to  all 


270  HOLLAND 

the  fury  of  the  elements,  these  men  who  have  made  the  entire 
political  and  commercial  grandeur  of  Holland,  receive  but  a 
scanty  wage:  a  fisherman  gains  from  250  to  300  florins  a 
year. 

We  may  ask  what  becomes  of  the  women  of  Vlaardingen 
during  the  time  of  the  fishery,  or  nearly  the  whole  year? 
They  look  after  the  houses,  and  in  the  rest  of  their  time  work 
at  making  nets  at  home  or  at  the  shops.  This  semi-widow- 
hood does  not  seem  to  be  very  painful  to  them,  and  they  find 
consolation  in  their  children,  who  are  numerous,  and  to 
whom  they  are  at  once  mother  and  father.  When  the  hus- 
band does  not  return,  they  at  length  resign  themselves  to 
this  absence  which  never  terminates. 

The  condition  of  Vlaardingen,  its  melancholy  streets,  its 
silent  paths,  its  seagoing  vessels  which  are  growing  old  and 
are  not  renewed,  all  this  announces  the  state  of  suffering  into 
which  the  great  fishery  has  fallen. 


SKATING  AND  SLEIGHING 

EDMONDO  DE  AMICIS 

SKATING  in  Holland  is  not  merely  a  favourite  amuse- 
ment, it  is  a  common  mode  of  locomotion.  To  call 
to  memory  a  well-known  instance  of  this  fact,  every- 
one recollects  how  it  was  turned  to  account  by  the  Nether- 
landers  during  their  memorable  defence  of  the  city  of  Haar- 
lem. During  the  hard  frosts,  the  canals  are  turned  into  roads, 
and  the  boats,  which  in  summer-time  glide  over  their  surface, 
are  replaced  by  skates.  The  peasant  skates  to  market,  the 
mechanic  to  his  work,  the  tradesman  to  his  business,  whole 
families  skate  from  their  country  residence  to  town,  with 
their  bags  and  baskets  on  their  backs,  or  in  sledges  they  draw 
along  with  them.  Skating  is  as  easy  and  natural  to  them 
as  walking,  and  they  skim  over  the  ice  with  such  speed  that 
the  eye  has  some  difficulty  in  following  them.  In  former 
years  wagers  were  often  laid  among  the  most  skilful  Dutch 
skaters,  as  to  who  could  keep  up  with  a  stated  train,  skating 
upon  the  canals  that  run  parallel  to  the  railway,  and,  in 
most  cases,  not  only  did  the  skaters  keep  up  with  the  engine, 
but  they  would  at  times  shoot  forward  and  keep  ahead  of  it 
for  a  few  minutes.  People  skate  from  The  Hague  to  Amster- 
dam and  back  again  the  same  day;  the  Utrecht  University 
students  leave  that  town  in  the  morning,  dine  at  Amsterdam 
and  are  at  home  again  before  night ;  the  wager  of  going  from 
Amsterdam  to  Leyden  in  little  more  than  an  hour  has  several 

271 


272  HOLLAND 

times  been  laid  and  won.  And  it  is  not  only  the  wonderful 
speed,  but  the  unerring  surefootedness  with  which  such  long 
journeys  are  accomplished  that  is  worthy  of  admiration. 
There  are  peasants  who  skate  by  night  from  one  town  to 
another.  Young  men  go  from  Rotterdam  to  Gouda,  at 
Gouda  they  buy  a  long  pipe  of  chalk  and  skate  back  to 
Rotterdam,  carrying  it  safe  and  sound  in  their  hand.  Some- 
times walking  by  a  canal,  a  human  figure  will  be  seen  to 
shoot  past  like  an  arrow  and  vanish  almost  as  soon  as  caught 
sight  of:  it  is  some  country  lassie  carrying  milk  to  town. 
Besides  the  skaters  there  are  the  sledges  of  every  shape  and 
size:  sledges  pushed  along  by  a  skater,  sledges  drawn  by 
horses,  sledges  propelled  by  means  of  two  spiked  sticks, 
wielded  by  the  person  sitting  inside;  wheelless  cart  and  car- 
riages placed  upon  two  wonderful  planks,  which  glide  along 
the  frozen  snow  as  swiftly  as  the  sledges.  Upon  festive  occa- 
sions, even  the  Scheveningen  fishing-craft  have  been  known  to 
appear  in  the  snow-covered  streets  in  The  Hague.  Formerly 
ships  with  all  sails  spread  were  made  to  glide  over  the  ice  upon 
the  large  rivers,  and  so  rapid  was  their  progress  that  the 
faces 'of  those  on  board  were  reduced  to  so  pitiable  a  state 
from  exposure  to  the  cutting  wind  as  might  well  make  one 
shudder,  and  few  indeed  were  the  people  daring  enough  to 
forego  this  ordeal. 

The  finest  fetes  in  Holland  take  place  on  the  ice.  At 
Rotterdam,  when  the  Meuse  is  frozen  over,  it  becomes  the 
favourite  resort  for  social  gatherings  and  amusements.  The 
snow  is  swept  away  so  as  to  leave  the  ice  as  clear  as  a  floor  of 
glass;  cafes,  eating-houses,  fancy  cottages,  booths  for  theatri- 


SKATING   AND    SLEIGHING   273 

eal  performances  crop  up  on  all  sides  upon  it;  by  night  it  is 
lighted  up;  by  day  it  is  thronged  with  skaters  of  every  age, 
sex  and  rank.  In  other  towns,  especially  in  Friesland,  which 
is  the  classic  home  of  the  art,  there  are  skating-clubs  that 
promote  public  contests  and  give  away  prizes.  Poles  and 
flagstaffs  are  erected  along  the  canal  banks,  stands  and  stock- 
ades are  erected ;  a  huge  multitude  of  people  from  the  neigh- 
bouring villages  flock  together;  the  cream  of  local  society 
is  present;  bands  of  music  play  uninterruptedly;  the  skaters 
appear  in  special  costumes,  the  women  all  wearing  trousers; 
races  for  men  alone  are  run,  then  the  women  compete  among 
themselves,  then  men  and  women  in  pairs,  and  the  names  of 
the  winners  are  inscribed  in  the  annals  of  the  art  and  acquire 
lasting  renown.  There  are  two  distinct  schools  of  skating  in 
Holland, — the  Dutch  school  proper  and  the  Frisian  school, 
each  of  which  uses  a  different  shape  of  skates.  The  Frisian 
school,  which  is  the  oldest,  aims  solely  at  speed;  the  Dutch 
school  strives  to  attain  grace  as  well.  The  Frisian  runs 
direct  on  before  him,  swerving  neither  to  right  nor  left, 
his  eye  fixed  upon  his  goal,  his  body  bending  forward  in 
that  direction;  the  Dutchman  proceeds  by  zigzags,  turning 
alternately  to  right  and  left,  by  a  movement  of  the  hips. 
The  Frisian  is  the  arrow;  the  Dutchman  the  giddy  rocket. 
The  Dutch  school  suits  women  best.  The  Amsterdam, 
Hague  and  Rotterdam  ladies  are  indeed  the  most  graceful 
skaters  in  the  United  Provinces.  They  begin  to  skate  as 
children,  and  continue  it  as  girls  and  married  women,  simul- 
taneously reaching  the  crowning  point  of  their  beauty  and 
their  art,  and  their  little  skates  draw  from  the  ice  they 


274  HOLLAND 

skim  over  the  sparks  that  set  so  many  hearts  on  fire.  It  is 
on  the  ice  only  that  the  Dutch  woman  shows  herself  to  be 
susceptible  of  a  fall,  and  this  lends  her  a  peculiar  attractive- 
ness. Some  ladies  attain  to  a  marvellous  degree  of  perfec- 
tion. Those  who  have  seen  them  skate  aver  that  no  descrip- 
tion can  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  graceful  bends  and 
curves,  the  countless  soft  and  most  becoming  attitudes  they 
display  in  their  swallow  or  butterfly-like  flight,  or  how  com- 
pletely their  placid  beauty  is  metamorphosed  and  enlivened 
by  the  exercise,  which  the  intricate  manoeuvres  they  perform 
involve.  Not  all,  however,  succeed  in  attaining  to  even 
a  moderate  degree  of  proficiency,  many  do  not  venture  to 
show  off  in  public,  and  some  who  with  us  would  have  won 
the  highest  honours,  are  there  scarcely  even  found  worthy 
of  notice,  to  such  an  elevated  a  standard  has  this  art  attained. 
The  men  are  in  nowrise  behind  the  softer  sex.  They  perform 
all  sorts  of  games  and  difficult  feats  upon  the  ice;  some  cut 
fanciful  figures  or  sentimental  sentences  in  their  circling 
progress,  others  spin  round  with  incredible  velocity  and  then 
skim  a  long  way  backwards  standing  upon  one  leg,  others 
glide  about  in  hundreds  of  complicated  twists  and  turns, 
all  clearly  defined  in  very  small  compass,  either  doubled 
up  or  standing  upright,  in  the  most  distorted  postures,  bend- 
ing down  like  gutta-percha  puppets,  set  in  motion  by  a 
hidden  spring. 

The  first  day  the  canals  and  ponds  can  show  a  sheet  of 
ice  thick  enough  to  skate  upon,  is  a  red-letter  day  in  a 
Dutch  town.  Early-rising  skaters,  who  have  put  the  ice  to 
the  test  at  break  of  day,  spread  the  news,  the  papers  trium- 


SKATING   AND    SLEIGHING   275 

phantly  proclaim  it,  flocks  of  children  shouting  with  joy 
scatter  all  over  the  streets,  servants,  male  and  female,  ask 
their  master's  leave  to  go  out,  with  a  look  that  denotes  their 
fixed  determination  of  rebelling  should  their  request  be  met 
by  a  refusal,  old  ladies  forget  their  age  and  ailments  and 
rush  to  the  canals  to  compete  with  their  friends  and  daugh- 
ters, the  large  pond  in  the  centre  of  the  town  at  The  Hague, 
near  the  Binnenhof,  is  carried  by  storm  by  a  multitude  of 
people,  elbowing  and  pushing  each  other,  mingling  in  one 
confused,  seething  mass,  like  a  crowd  seized  by  a  fit  of  dizzi- 
ness, the  cream  of  the  aristocracy  skate  upon  a  pond  in  the 
park,  and  there  officers,  ladies,  M.  P.'s,  students,  old  men 
and  boys  may  be  distinguished,  flitting  here  and  there  in  the 
falling  snow,  a  crowd  of  spectators  flocking  around  them, 
the  loud  music  of  the  military  bands  lending  additional 
animation  to  the  merry  scene,  and  the  great  disc  of  the  Neth- 
erlands sun  shining  through  the  giant  beeches  and  sending 
them  its  last  dazzling  farewell  ere  it  sinks  below  the  horizon. 
When  the  snow  is  firm  enough,  the  sleighing  begins  in 
good  earnest.  Every  family  has  its  own  sleigh,  and  at  the 
hour  for  driving  out  hundreds  of  them  may  be  seen  issuing 
forth.  They  rush  swiftly  past  in  long  strings,  two  and 
three  abreast,  some  in  the  shape  of  shells,  others  made  to 
imitate  swans  or  dragons,  boats  and  coaches,  gaily  painted 
and  gilt,  drawn  by  horses  covered  with  costly  furs  and 
smart  trappings,  with  feathers  and  rosettes  about  their 
heads,  their  harness  studded  with  glittering  ornaments,  bear- 
ing ladies  warmly  wrapped  up  in  sable,  beaver  and  Siberian 
fox.  The  horses  shake  their  heads  and  toss  their  manes, 


276  *  HOLLAND 

shrouded  in  the  vapour  that  rises  from  them,  bespangled 
with  myriads  of  tiny  icicles;  the  sleighs  spring  forward; 
the  snow  flies  round  them  like  silver  foam,  and  the  glitter- 
ing headlong  procession  rushes  past  and  is  lost  to  sight,  like 
a  whirlwind  sweeping  over  a  field  of  lilies  and  jasmine.  By 
night,  when  the  torch-light  drives  take  place,  the  countless 
flamelets  flashing  by  and  coursing  after  each  other  through 
the  silent  town,  throwing  livid  patches  of  light  upon  the 
snow  and  ice,  look  like  a  gigantic  diabolical  combat,  wit- 
nessed by  the  spectre  of  Philip  II.,  gazing  down  upon  them 
from  the  summit  of  the  Binnenhof  tower. 


FOOD  AND  FLOWERS 

FREDERICK  SPENCER  BIRD 

,HE  mode  of  living  in  Holland,  in  some  respects, 
differs  greatly  from  that  to  which  we  are  accus- 
tomed in  England.  Food,  also,  is  not  quite  the 
same  as  that  usually  to  be  seen  on  English  tables.  Bread, 
for  instance,  is  sold  in  lengths  of  two  or  three  feet,  baked 
outside  to  a  rich  brown  colour.  A  boy  or  girl  may  some- 
times be  seen  in  the  street  carrying  home  one  of  these  oblong 
loaves,  one  under  each  arm,  like  miniature  gate-posts. 

Great  numbers  of  small  round  cheeses,  some  stained  red 
outside,  are  annually  made  and  consumed  in  Holland,  as 
well  as  exported  to  other  countries.  Cheese  is  often  placed 
on  the  breakfast  table  together  with  a  kind  of  oatcake,  dark 
in  colour  and  apparently  indigestible,  but  said  to  be  very 
wholesome  notwithstanding;  also,  a  kind  of  dried  meat  cut 
into  extremely  thin  slices,  which  is  known  as  gerookt  vleesch 
and  is  said  to  be  neither  more  nor  less  than  horseflesh.  Still, 
it  is  tolerably  palatable,  and  certainly  preferable  to  a  tough 
beefsteak. 

Mutton  is  seldom  eaten  in  Holland;  but  great  numbers 
of  sheep  are  bred  there  every  year  and  sent  to  the  London 
markets,  where  they  are  purchased  by  butchers  who  deal 
chiefly  with  the  poorer  classes,  to  whom  they  are  enabled 
to  sell  the  meat  at  a  cheaper  rate  than  is  paid  for  English 
mutton. 

277 


278  HOLLAND 

Fish,  as  may  be  supposed,  is  very  plentiful  in  a  country 
abounding  with  so  much  water ;  and  the  cry  of  "  Fish  alive, 
O!  "  so  often  a  mockery  and  a  snare  in  England,  in  Holland 
is  no  deception,  for  there  it  may  be  purchased  in  great  per- 
fection and  literally  alive.  A  crowd  of  persons  of  both 
sexes  may  often  be  seen,  assembled  at  the  edge  of  a  canal, 
to  the  side  of  which  a  flat-bottomed  Dutch  boat  is  moored. 
A  square  board  is  affixed  to  the  mast  bearing  the  announce- 
ment "Vish  te  Koop,"  or  "Fish  for  Sale."  In  the  boat 
stands  the  proprietor,  having  before  him,  fastened  to  an 
upright  piece  of  wood,  a  weighing  apparatus,  consisting  of 
a  beam,  with  a  scale  to  hold  the  weights  at  one  end,  and 
an  open  bag  or  net  at  the  other.  In  the  centre  of  the  boat 
a  tank  of  water  is  placed,  in  which  fish  of  various  kinds 
and  sizes  are  swimming  about,  no  doubt  in  blissful  uncon- 
sciousness of  the  fate  awaiting  them,  though,  perhaps,  rest- 
less at  being  confined  within  such  narrow  bounds.  The 
boatman  holds  in  his  hand  a  rod  with  a  net  at  the  end.  With 
this  instrument  he  lifts  the  fish  out  of  the  water,  as  they 
are  required,  and  weighs  them  out  to  his  customers,  who 
carry  them  home,  gasping  and  writhing,  in  baskets  and 
pocket-handkerchiefs.  In  the  markets,  also,  fresh  water  fish, 
such  as  pike,  roach,  carp  and  eels,  are  placed  for  sale  in 
shallow  open  tubs  of  clear  water,  where  they  exhibit  as 
much  animation  as  can  reasonably  be  expected  under  such 
embarrassing  circumstances.  This  plan  of  keeping  fish  alive 
until  they  are  sold,  not  only  ensures  their  being  fresh  when 
purchased,  but  by  placing  them  in  pure  water  for  a  few 
hours,  it  is  said  to  remove  from  them  a  peculiar  weedy 


FOOD    AND    FLOWERS         279 

flavour  which  some  have  after  having  been  caught  in  muddy 
rivers  or  ponds. 

Vegetarians  would  find  Holland  an  excellent  country  to 
live  in,  a  great  variety  of  vegetables  being  grown  and  con- 
sumed there,  of  which  four  or  five  different  sorts  are  ordi- 
narily brought  to  table  at  one  time. 

It  would  seem  that  England,  more  than  three  centuries 
and  a  half  ago,  viz.,  in  1509,  received  her  supply  of  veg- 
etables from  the  Netherlands,  as  it  is  stated  that  there  were 
no  kitchen  gardens  in  that  country  at  that  time;  while 
previous  to  such  importation  sugar  was  eaten  with  meat 
to  correct  its  putrescency.  The  Dutch  use  some  vegetables 
which  are  seldom,  if  ever,  met  with  in  England.  They 
grow  a  kind  of  turnip  with  a  long  root,  resembling  that  of 
a  carrot.  These  are  brought  to  table  cut  into  pieces  about 
an  inch  in  length.  They  have  also  peas  which  are  eaten  with 
the  shells.  The  Dutch  asparagus  is  very  fine,  and  far 
more  economical  than  the  English  sort,  as  the  whole  shoot, 
being  blanched  and  tender,  may  be  eaten.  No  part  of  it  is 
green,  yet  the  flavour  is  quite  as  delicate  as  that  of  any 
other  kind,  and  yet  there  is  no  waste.  The  cucumbers  pre- 
ferred by  the  Dutch  are  of  a  golden  yellow  colour,  the  green 
variety,  so  justly  appreciated  in  England,  not  being  liked 
in  Holland;  consequently  it  is  only  grown  there  for  the 
London  markets,  which  receive  large  supplies  from  the 
Netherlands. 

The  Dutch  grow  several  excellent  herbs  for  salad.  One, 
called  veldsalade,  is  ready  as  early  as  February.  They 
use  also  the  bleached  stalks  of  the  dandelion  (taraxacum}, 


28o  HOLLAND 

which  is  much  esteemed  on  account  of  its  wholesome  prop- 
e  rides. 

Fruits  and  flowers  are  likewise  abundant  and  cheap  in 
Holland.  The  latter  are  constantly  to  be  seen  in  the  win- 
dows of  most  Dutch  houses,  and  the  display  is  often  very 
beautiful.  Many  housekeepers,  who  have  no  gardens,  con- 
tract with  florists  who  keep  them  supplied  all  the  year  with 
a  succession  of  plants  in  bloom.  When  the  blossoms  begin 
to  fade  and  fall  off,  they  are  replaced  by  other  flowers.  This 
system  of  hiring  plants  is  very  general  in  towns,  and  not  so 
expensive  as  having  a  greenhouse  of  one's  own.  The  Dutch, 
it  has  been  said,  have  done  more  to  promote  horticulture 
than  any  other  nation;  and  a  considerable  business  in  bulbs 
and  shrubs,  and  even  in  cut  flowers  for  bouquets,  is  carried 
on  with  England  and  other  countries. 

At  Haarlem,  the  town  most  celebrated  for  its  nursery- 
gardens,  and  "  the  paradise  of  flowrers,"  as  it  has  been  called, 
large  tracts  of  land  may  be  seen,  in  the  proper  season,  en- 
tirely planted  with  tulips,  hyacinths  and  a  variety  of  other 
flowers.  They  are  arranged  in  patches,  according  to  their 
sorts  and  colours,  and  while  presenting  to  the  eye  a  charming 
appearance,  fill  the  air  with  delicious  fragrance. 

Many  persons,  no  doubt,  have  heard  of  the  extraordinary 
mania  for  tulips  that  existed  in  Holland  in  the  Seventeenth 
Century.  Dutchmen  of  all  stations,  from  the  highest  to 
the  lowest,  abandoned  their  ordinary  occupations  and  busi- 
ness to  engage  in  the  tulip-trade.  The  mania,  it  is  said, 
first  commenced  in  France  in  the  year  1635  and  thence 
spread  to  the  Netherlands.  The  prices  obtained  for  some 


FOOD    AND    FLOWERS         281 

of  the  bulbs  are  surprising.  The  "  Admiral  Liefkens  "  sold 
for  more  than  4000  florins  (about  £335)  ;  "  Semper  Augus- 
tus "  for  5500  florins  (more  than  £458);  "Admiral  van 
Eyck"  and  "  Schilder"  about  £160  in  English  money  each. 
Some  bargains  made  were  the  most  foolish  imaginable.  A 
tulip  bulb  was  exchanged  for  a  quantity  of  grain,  four  fat 
oxen,  twelve  sheep,  five  pigs,  two  barrels  of  butter,  1000 
pounds  of  cheese,  four  barrels  of  beer,  two  bogheads  of  wine, 
a  bedstead  with  its  belongings,  a  suit  of  clothes,  and  lastly, 
a  silver  drinking  cup.  On  another  occasion  twelve  acres  of 
land  were  offered  for  a  bulb  and  refused.  On  the  5th  Feb- 
ruary, 1637,  at  Alkmaar,  the  executors  of  Wouter  Bartholo- 
meutz  sold  his  collection  of  tulips  for  90,000  florins  (about 
£7500). 

A  story  is  related  of  a  Burgomaster  who  obtained,  through 
influence  he  possessed,  an  appointment  of  considerable  im- 
portance for  a  friend.  The  latter  wished  to  make  him  some 
return  for  his  kindness,  but  the  Burgomaster  declined  every 
offer,  except  an  invitation  to  dinner  and  a  walk  round  the 
garden  of  his  grateful  entertainer.  Some  months  afterwards 
the  visit  was  returned,  and  the  gentleman  having  perceived 
in  the  Burgomaster's  grounds  a  rare  tulip  which  had  been 
surreptitiously  abstracted  from  his  own,  was  so  enraged  that 
he  resigned  his  appointment,  sold  all  his  property  and  left 
the  country. 

A  proclamation  of  the  States  of  Holland  and  West  Fries- 
land,  dated  27th  April,  1636,  for  rendering  invalid  all  con- 
tracts in  connection  with  tulips,  at  length  put  a  stop  to  the 
mania.  In  consequence  of  this  edict,  bulbs  which  had  cost 


282  HOLLAND 

more  than  5000  florins    were  sold  for  50  florins    and  num- 
bers of  persons  were  ruined. 

Fruit  in  Holland  is  usually  good  and  abundant.  In 
some  parts  of  the  country  grapes,  small  in  size  but  of  an 
agreeable  flavour,  are  grown  out  of  doors,  against  the  walls 
of  cottages,  and  are  sold  at  a  cheap  rate  in  the  streets. 


CAF&  KRASNAPOLSKY 

S.  L.  BENSUSAN 

OF  Dutch  cafes  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  write  at 
great  length  in  the  endeavour  to  describe  their 
charm  and  variety  adequately.  In  a  country  like 
Holland  the  cafes  do  more  than  replace  the  ugly  public 
house  from  which  England  suffers;  they  serve  in  the  very 
quiet  towns  to  turn  men's  eyes  to  natural  beauties.  Some 
Dutch  cities  boast  garden  cafes,  delightful  to  visit,  whose 
patrons  can  take  refreshments  from  shady  arbours  slightly 
reminiscent  of  Spain  while  looking  out  over  landscapes  that 
inspired  Cuyp,  Ruysdael,  Hobbema,  and  Van  der  Meer.  In 
the  clear  air  and  bright  light  so  generously  vouchsafed  to 
Holland,  a  keen  sense  of  the  joy  of  life  accompanies  this 
harmless  idling  in  quiet  gardens  where  fruit  trees  are  in 
blossom  and  the  ground  is  ablaze  with  tulips  and  hyacinths. 
Perhaps  the  habitues  are  so  accustomed  to  the  splendour 
of  the  surroundings  that  they  do  not  heed  them — one  can 
but  hope  this  is  not  the  case. 

The  cafes  of  the  country  places  justify  ample  description ; 
on  the  other  hand,  those  of  the  Amsterdam  and  Rotterdam 
slums  defy  it.  Let  one  brief  hint  suffice.  Imagine  a  long, 
narrow  street  with  small  houses  on  either  side,  brilliantly 
lighted  from  behind  drawn  blinds.  A  few  flaring  signs 
announce  some  familiar  name :  Empire,  El  Dorado,  Victoria, 
Elysium.  Tireless  touts  stand  by  every  door,  with  hand  on 

283 


284  HOLLAND 

latch  or  connecting  string,  and,  as  the  wayfarer  passes, 
open  the  entrance  they  guard,  sufficiently  to  reveal  a  long 
room  with  small  tables  and  chairs  leading  up  to  a  plat- 
form upon  which  some  dozen  girls,  half  dressed  in  tawdry, 
tinselled  stage  clothes,  are  ostensibly  holding  a  concert. 
Of  cafe,  concert,  performers,  patrons,  it  is  better  not  to 
write.  Such  places  are  probably  enjoying  their  last  years 
of  immunity,  and  will  be  no  more  than  a  memory  before 
the  Twentieth  Century  is  far  advanced.  Between  the  simple 
garden  cafes  and  the  disreputable,  water-side  dens  of  Hol- 
land, come  the  stately  houses  of  the  big  cities,  wherein  gild- 
ing, electric  light,  and  costly  seats  recall  some  of  the  best 
club  houses  of  St.  James's  or  Pall  Mall.  It  may  be  sug- 
gested that  they  take  the  places  of  clubs,  since  there  are 
camparatively  few  social  clubs  in  Holland  in  proportion  to 
its  wealth  and  size,  while  the  best  cafes  have  their  regular 
clientele,  and  at  Amsterdam  you  look  for  many  a  man  at 
his  cafe  as  in  London  you  would  look  for  him  at  his  club. 
I  select  Amsterdam  because  it  holds  the  largest  and  one  of 
the  best-appointed  cafes  I  have  seen  in  any  city  of  the  Old 
World,  the  Cafe  Krasnapolsky.  There  are  some  in  the 
town  that  have  the  appearance  of  being  more  select,  some 
are  more  ornate,  none  is  more  interesting.  Being  known 
beyond  its  own  country,  the  Krasnapolsky  is  a  centre  of  at- 
traction to  visitors  from  all  parts ;  conversations  are  carried  on 
in  Dutch,  French,  German,  English,  and,  also,  in  American. 
Now  and  again  a  little  Italian  and  Spanish  may  be  heard, 
and  the  types  of  visitor  are  as  varied  as  the  language.  The 
Krasnapolsky  has  put  one  serious  defect,  shared  with  all 


THE    CAFE    KRASXAPOLSKY     285 

Dutch  cafes:  it  offers  no  music  to  the  visitors.  Forgive 
the  lack  of  an  orchestra  and  you  can  occupy  yourself  until 
sometime  after  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Amsterdam 
favours  life  in  the  open  air,  and  when  business  is  over  for 
the  day,  crowds  fill  the  streets  and  leave  them  filled  at  a 
time  when  sober  London  is  fast  asleep.  When  the  stroller 
tires,  he  recruits  at  the  nearest  cafe  and  the  stream  of 
visitors  fills  all  the  seats,  even  in  the  largest  buildings.  The 
vacation  of  a  chair  is  the  signal  for  two  or  three  competitors 
to  indulge  in  a  dignified  walking  race.  Men  do  not  mo- 
nopolise the  tables  nor  are  the  ladies  of  what  is  called 
doubtful  character — a  term  so  strangely  applied  to  people 
about  whose  character  there  is  not  the  least  occasion  for 
uncertainty.  Dutch  cafes  are  quite  family  resorts;  three 
generations  will  gather  at  one  table,  white-haired  old  gen- 
tlemen, or  ladies,  surrounded  by  their  children  and  their 
children's  children.  This  gathering  lends  much  to  the  charm 
of  the  cafe. 

In  the  very  heart  of  the  Dutch  capital  is  the  Dam,  a  square 
with  the  Royal  Palace  filling  one  side,  and  close  by  it  is  the 
Warmoes  Straat  where  are  many  cafes,  a  few  clubs,  and 
at  least  one  music-hall.  Half  way  down  the  street  is  the 
Krasnapolsky,  certain  to  arrest  attention,  by  reason  of  its 
size  and  decorations  as  well  as  the  ceaseless  crowd  that  never 
gives  even  a  momentary  respite  to  the  swinging  doors.  On 
your  right,  as  you  enter  the  vestibule  from  the  street,  is 
the  restaurant,  well  patronised  by  diners;  on  the  left  are 
the  billiard-rooms;  straight  in  the  front  is  the  cafe;  beyond 
it,  a  conservatory.  The  upper  floors  serve  as  an  hotel. 


286  HOLLAND 

So  long  as  you  are  standing  up  or  searching  for  a  table, 
you  are  keenly  conscious  of  noise  or  bustle,  of  clanging  doors 
and  flying  waiters,  of  strangers  coming  to  and  fro,  of  the 
rattle  of  billiard  balls.  When  you  find  a  seat  and  your 
refreshment  is  within  reach,  the  babble  and  movement  have 
quite  a  different  significance.  They  are  details  in  a  living 
picture,  arranged  for  your  amusement.  The  interior  of  the 
Krasnapolsky  Cafe  is  very  striking.  The  walls  are  painted 
and  decorated  at  short  intervals  with  mirrors.  There  is  a 
happy  absence  of  flamboyant  advertisement.  Your  lungs, 
liver,  and  internal  arrangements  are  not  the  care  of  count- 
less, screaming  placards,  and,  as  the  cafe  is  lofty  and  lighted 
by  electricity,  there  is  no  insufferable  heat  to  induce  troubles 
that  patent  medicines  might  strive  to  remedy.  In  the  centre 
of  the  room  is  an  erection  that  would  with  a  little  alteration, 
serve  admirably  for  a  band-stand.  It  is,  apparently,  made 
of  cork,  and  the  roof  is  thickly  covered  with  ferns  and 
flowers.  From  the  roof  of  the  cafe  big  flower-baskets,  filled 
to  overflowing,  depend  at  short  intervals,  giving  a  pleasant 
and  refreshing  fragrance  to  an  atmosphere  that  suffers  con- 
siderably from  the  cheapness  of  tobacco.  The  tables  are  of 
wood ;  their  size  is  irregular  to  admit  parties  of  varying  size. 
At  first,  the  varied  groups  yield  little  or  nothing  of  their 
individuality — the  assembly  is  of  the  middle  class,  soberly 
clad,  not  remarkable  for  beauty  of  face  or  figure,  dispensing 
with  all  the  essential  elegance  of  Southern  Europe,  and  quite 
lacking  in  colour,  save  where  small  groups  of  soldiers  make 
the  surrounding  monotony  more  monotonous  by  contrast. 
Yet,  as  one  glances  with  care  from  one  table  to  another,  look- 


THE    CAFE    KRASNAPOLSKY    287 

ing  to  trivial  actions  for  an  expression  of  character,  the 
distinctive  features  of  the  company  slowly  become  apparent. 
The  gathering  resolves  itself  first  into  a  broad  division  of 
natives  and  strangers  in  proportion,  roughly  estimated,  of 
five  to  one.  There  are  three  classes  of  natives — the  Hol- 
lander, stolid,  seemingly  prosperous,  and  very  well  pleased 
with  himself;  the  offspring  of  Java  and  Holland,  with 
curious  complexion,  and  quite  uncommon  eyes;  and  the 
Jews,  these  last  being,  almost  without  exception,  of  the 
German  community,  given  much  to  grouping  together  in 
odd  corners  and  to  wearing  rather  brighter  colours  than 
their  neighbours.  The  strangers  do  not  call  for  much 
notice — an  inability  to  hide  the  palpable  evidence  of  the 
tourist  stands  between  them  and  all  claim  to  respectful  at- 
tention. Natives  fall  gradually  into  line  under  two  other 
broad  denominations:  the  men  of  business  and  the  men 
of  pleasure.  He  who  is  on  pleasure  bent  has  brought  the 
partner  of  his  joys  and  sorrows,  a  parent  and  a  child  or  two ; 
or  he  has  brought  some  friend  to  look  upon  the  wine  when 
it  is  red,  and  crack  a  joke  in  season.  When  the  opera  is 
over — and  the  good  plays  are  few  and  far  between — cafes 
are  the  only  places  wherein  modest  amusement  may  be 
sought  and  found.  From  Haarlem  and  the  other  neighbour- 
ing towns  men  come  to  spend  a  pleasant  evening  after  work, 
tiring  for  a  time  of  purely  rural  charms.  On  the  other 
hand,  you  find  in  the  Krasnapolsky  men  of  business  by  the 
score,  who  cannot  forego  the  chances  of  a  bargain  after 
trading  hours.  Such  a  one  is  the  old  man  with  shaven 
chin  and  long  whiskers,  who  sits  at  the  table  by  my  side. 


288  HOLLAND 

He  is,  to  outward  seeming,  a  gentleman  who  lends  money 
to  agriculturists,  and  has  some  three  or  four  of  his  clients 
with  him  to-night,  rusty,  unpolished  fellows  from  four  green 
fields  by  the  Zuyder  Zee.  My  knowledge  of  Dutch  is 
limited  to  some  score  of  words,  but,  without  more  acquaint- 
ance with  the  language,  it  is  possible  to  follow  the  little 
comedy  at  the  neigbouring  table.  It  might  be  a  pantomime 
play.  The  guide,  philosopher  and  friend  of  these  old  farm- 
ers orders  drinks  lavishly,  passes  his  cigar  case  round,  and 
talks  cheerfully.  His  guests  respond  with  uncouth  chuckles 
and  much  rubbing  of  battered  hands.  Gradually,  their 
patron's  tone  changes,  his  language  is  rapid,  his  gestures 
eloquent,  the  old  men  are  embarrassed.  One  seems  to  launch 
a  protest  upon  this  sea  of  eloquence.  It  is  speedily  swamped, 
more  wine  is  ordered,  and  in  another  quarter  of  an  hour 
the  financier  rises  and  proceeds  with  firm  steps  to  the  door, 
followed  by  his  friends,  who  have  none  of  the  buoyant 
bearing  with  which  they  entered  from  the  dining-room.  Now, 
the  financier  had  clearly  paid  for  the  dinner  for  the  sake 
of  the  bargain  he  had  concluded  over  the  wine,  and,  as  no 
financier  offers  a  sprat  without  intent  to  catch  a  whale,  it 
may  be  presumed  that  Heer  Black-whiskers  has  done  very 
well  indeed. 

Having  awaited  with  some  interest  the  conclusion  of  the 
manoeuvres,  I  listen  to  the  conversation  of  the  group  that 
succeeds  to  his  table.  It  is  a  group  of  students,  and  Dreyfus 
is  the  theme.  I  gather  that  they  are  all  Dreyfusards,  staunch 
advocates  of  revision  and  light  beer.  Like  Job  Trotter, 
after  Sam  Weller  had  treated  him,  they  seem  to  "  swell 


THE    CAFE    KRASNAPOLSKY     289 

wisibly,"  as  the  waiter  takes  away  the  empty  glasses  and 
brings  fresh  ones  that  shine  like  amber  in  the  strong  light. 
Happily  there  is  no  intoxication  in  the  glass,  the  danger  lies 
in  Schiedam,  "  Wijngroc,"  and  Advocaats  mixed  with  fiery 
spirit.  Absinthe  figures  prominently  on  the  list  of  refresh- 
ments, but  finds  few  patrons.  Holland  is  less  decadent 
than  France  or  Belgium, — its  cafes  are  as  significant  in 
their  emphasis  of  this  fact  as  its  picture  galleries. 

When  you  tire  of  the  cafe  and  would  pass  for  a  moment 
into  a  cooler,  sweeter  atmosphere,  the  conservatory  awaits 
you,  and  so  soon  as  the  doors  are  closed,  the  noise  and  smoke 
are  left  behind.  The  place  is  very  well  kept,  and  in  a 
country  where  all  flowers  seem  to  thrive  it  is  not  difficult 
to  make  a  conservatory  attractive  throughout  the  year. 

From  the  conservatory,  you  return  to  the  cafe  or,  perhaps, 
go  into  the  billiard-room.  Dining  is  over  for  the  night. 
Amsterdam  dines  early,  and  stout  prosperous  gentlemen, 
with  ribbons  on  the  lapels  of  their  coats  and  every  outward 
sign  that  good  digestion  waits  upon  appetite,  have  gone  to 
the  amusement  of  which  dinner  was  the  prelude,  accom- 
panied by  their  womenfolk  to  whose  gay  dresses  and  fre- 
quent laughter  the  dining-room  owed  so  much.  One  room 
on  the  ground  floor  remains  to  be  explored:  the  big  billiard 
saloon,  where  Amsterdam  young  and  old  plays  indefatigably 
on  the  baby  tables  that  were  taken  into  use  before  they  had 
time  to  grow  pockets.  It  is  a  replica  of  the  London  bil- 
liard-room without  the  pockets  and  with  the  swagger  trans- 
lated into  Dutch.  All  the  types  are  to  be  seen;  the  man 
who  thinks  he  can  play,  and  the  man  who  knows  he  can; 


290  HOLLAND 

the  steady  player,  and  the  maker  of  flukes;  the  hawk  on 
the  look-out  for  the  pigeon,  the  pigeon  very  proud  to  be 
noticed  by  a  bird  so  distinguished  for  knowledge  as  the 
hawk.  There  are  tables  by  the  dozen  and  players  by  the 
score.  Tired  players  return  to  the  cafe;  fresh  ones  come 
from  it.  Midnight  finds  all  the  tables  occupied.  Truly 
the  Krasnapolsky  Cafe  may  claim  a  high  place  among  in- 
stitutions of  its  class,  and  deserves  all  the  popularity  it 
enjoys. 


THE  FRIESLAND  CAP 

EMMA  BREWER 

THE    peculiar    headdress    worn    by    the    ladies    of 
Holland    during    the    last    thousand    years,    and 
known  as  the  Friesland  cap,  has  undergone  no 
change  whatever  from  the  time  of  its  adoption  until  now, 
and  yet  it  is  not  becoming,  nor  does  it  in  any  way  add  to 
the  grace  and  beauty  of  the  women. 

Much  curiosity  has  been  expressed  as  to  its  origin,  and 
why  its  form  has  been  so  strictly  adhered  to,  while  every 
other  article  of  dress  has  changed  its  fashion  with  the 
seasons.  We  might  never  have  been  able  to  solve  the  prob- 
lem but  for  the  discovery  of  a  legend  by  a  great  authority 
on  Frisian  lore.  The  following  is  but  a  bare  outline. 

Some  twelve  hundred  years  ago  a  celebrated  preacher  of 
the  Gospel  appeared  among  the  Frisians.  His  influence 
upon  the  people  was  remarkable,  especially  upon  Fostedina, 
the  Prime  Minister's  daughter,  a  beautiful  girl  of  eighteen. 
She  took  a  deep  interest  in  his  words  and  in  the  hymns 
sung  by  his  followers,  and  but  for  fear  of  her  father  and 
the  priest  would  have  acknowledged  herself  a  Christian. 
The  priest  attached  to  the  Court  was  a  cruel  man  and  furious 
with  all  who  adopted  the  Christian  religion.  He  not  only 
imprisoned  them,  but  threatened  that  unless  they  should 
recant  he  would  cast  them  into  the  arena  among  the  wolves 
and  wild  boars. 

291 


29  2  HOLLAND 

The  day  was  at  hand  when  this  threat  was  to  be  carried 
out,  and  the  prisoners,  as  they  lay  in  their  gloomy  cells, 
heard  the  preparations  with  sinking  hearts.  In  the  dark 
hours  of  the  night,  however,  Fostedina  came  to  their  aid 
and  arranged  their  escape,  bidding  them  fly  to  the  land  of 
the  Franks. 

When  the  steward  came  in  the  morning  to  conduct  the 
band  of  Christians  to  the  arena,  the  prison  was  empty  save 
for  the  girl  Fostedina.  She  pointed  to  the  open  window  and 
the  ladder  and  said:  "  They  are  safe,  thank  God!  " 

The  steward  thought  she  was  mad,  and  begged  her  to  go 
to  her  room,  as  he  felt  sure  the  people  would  tear  her  to 
pieces  if  they  found  out  what  she  had  done.  She,  however, 
determined  to  remain  and  face  the  consequences  of  her  deed, 
lest  the  punishment  should  fall  upon  the  missionary  and 
his  followers,  who  were  still  living  in  their  midst. 

She  was  taken  before  the  King  and  his  council,  and  when 
asked  why  she  had  done  this  thing,  answered:  "  Because  I 
pitied  the  men  and  abhorred  the  cruelty  with  which  they 
were  to  have  been  killed,  and  because  I  believe  that  our  gods 
of  wood  and  stone  are  no  gods,  and  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  son  of  the  living  and  true  God." 

The  King,  turning  to  the  Prime  Minister,  said:  "She 
is  your  child ;  what  is  to  be  done  with  her  ?  " 

The  father  answered :  "  She  is  my  only  child,  and  the 
joy  of  my  life.  If  you  throw  her  to  the  wolves,  I  go  with 
her." 

Then  Adgillus,  the  King's  son,  who  loved  this  girl,  came 
forward  to  plead  with  his  father,  for  her  forgiveness,  and 


THE    FRIESLAND    CAP         293 

he  would  probably  have  succeeded  but  for  the  sarcasm  and 
taunts  of  the  priest. 

At  length  she  was  taken  out  and  placed  between  the  coun- 
cil and  the  howling  mob  while  the  King  said :  "  Ye  men 
of  Friesland,  this  is  the  girl  who  saved  the  Christians.  What 
are  we  to  do  with  her?  " 

The  girl  was  loved  by  the  people,  and  they  felt  compas- 
sion for  her,  but  the  priest,  in  a  loud  voice,  cried  shame 
on  them  for  their  cowardice,  urging  them  to  cruelty,  until, 
with  a  savage  cry,  they  shouted:  "  To  the  wolves!  " 

Then  Adgillus  came  forward,  saying:  "  I  will  be  a 
Frisian  no  longer.  If  you  throw  her  to  the  wolves,  I  go 
with  her  and  fight  with  them  for  her  with  my  sword,  which 
I  have  sworn  to  use  for  the  protection  of  the  innocent 
and  defenceless,  and  God  helping  me,  I  will  keep  my 
oath!" 

The  applause  of  the  people  was  deafening,  but  the  priest 
silenced  them,  saying :  "  This  girl  has  insulted  our  gods 
and  embraced  the  new  religion.  Therefore  our  law  re- 
quires her  death." 

But  the  people  cried  out  with  their  thousands  of  voices: 
"She  shall  not  die!" 

The  priest,  pale  with  spite  and  anger,  said:  "Well, 
let  her  live.  She  has  been  trying  for  a  crown ;  let  her  have 
her  wish.  Here  is  one  exactly  like  that  worn  by  the  Christ 
whom  she  worships."  So  saying,  he  took  from  under  his 
cloak  a  crown  of  thorns  and  held  it  up  for  inspection. 
Again  a  shout  went  up  "  Crown  her!  Crown  her!  " 

And  so  it  happened  that  on  the  following  day  she  stood 


294  HOLLAND 

in  the  arena  from  sunrise  to  sunset,  wearing  the  crown  of 
thorns,  and  although  her  forehead  and  temples  were  pain- 
fully pierced  by  the  sharp  thorns  and  the  blood  ran  down 
her  cheeks,  she  did  not  utter  a  sigh  or  murmur.  The  next 
day,  having  been  banished,  she  left  the  country,  accompanied 
by  the  missionary  and  his  followers,  nor  was  the  King's 
son  seen  in  Friesland  for  many  a  long  day  after  this.  He 
joined  the  army  of  the  Franks,  and  accounts  of  his  prowess 
and  valour  rilled  the  land. 

At  the  King's  death  Adgillus  succeeded  him,  notwith- 
standing the  opposition  of  the  priests.  The  people  loved  him 
and  offered  no  objection  to  receive  Fostedina  as  their  Queen, 
and  she  and  Adgillus  were  married  by  the  missionary,  ac- 
cording to  Christian  rites. 

The  marks  of  the  crown  of  thorns  were  still  visible  on  her 
forehead  and  temples,  when,  by  the  side  of  her  royal  hus- 
band, Fostedina  rode  into  the  old  city  of  Stavoren,  where 
the  Frisian  kings  resided.  At  the  sight  of  these  scars  the 
people  were  greatly  troubled,  for  it  reminded  them  of 
the  cruelty  with  which  they  had  treated  her  in  days 
gone  by. 

On  the  morning  of  the  great  festival  with  which  the 
new  King's  inauguration  was  to  be  celebrated,  twelve  high- 
born maidens  entered  the  Queen's  apartment  and  presented 
her  with  a  golden  crown  of  such  a  shape  that  it  completely 
hid  the  marks  made  by  the  crown  of  thorns.  Two  golden 
plates  covered  her  temples,  while  a  splendid  golden  strip 
passed  over  the  forehead.  Fostedina  accepted,  but  did  not 
like  it.  She  remarked :  "  It  will  never  come  up  to  the 


THE    FRIESLAND    CAP         295 

crown  of  thorns;    but  my  God  has  still  a  better  crown  in 
store  for  me." 

From  that  time  it  became  the  fashion  for  every  noble  lady 
to  wear  one  like  it,  a  custom  which  has  continued  down  to 
the  present  day,  though  the  reason  of  its  adoption  has  been 
forgotten. 


THE  KERMESSE 

FREDERICK  SPENCER  BIRD 

THE  Kermesse  is  always  a  peculiar  and  animated 
scene,  and  to  strangers  is  generally  very  inter- 
esting. It  brings  together  great  numbers  of  per- 
sons from  all  parts  of  Holland,  and  affords  an  excellent 
opportunity  for  seeing  the  various  costumes  of  the  country, 
many  of  which  are  extremely  curious,  especially  those  of 
the  peasants  of  North  Holland  and  Zealand.  In  many  of 
the  towns,  however,  the  national  costume  is  fast  disappear- 
ing; and  even  the  country-women  now  often  wear  bonnets 
of  modern  design,  adorned  with  coloured  ribbons,  over  their 
lace  caps  and  hoofdijzers. 

The  hoofdijzer  (head-iron)  is  a  kind  of  skull-cap  made  of 
gold  or  silver  beautifully  polished,  which  closely  fits  the 
head  and  reaches  just  above  the  ears,  leaving  the  forehead 
visible.  At  the  top  there  is  a  circular  hole  for  ventilation. 
A  lace  hood,  with  a  deep  frill  or  border  extending  to  the 
shoulders,  is  usually  worn  over  it.  Affixed  to  the  sides  of 
the  metal  cap  and  projecting  on  a  line  \vith  the  eyes,  are 
spiral  ornaments  of  gold  wire,  somewhat  like  corkscrews, 
or  else  square-shaped  pendants  of  gold,  often  set  with  jewels 
and  of  considerable  value.  Some  women  wear  a  broad  band 
of  gold  across  the  forehead ;  others,  simply  gold  pins  stuck 
into  the  hair  over  each  temple,  the  head  being  covered 
merely  by  a  white  linen  band. 

296 


THE    KERMESSE  297 

The  hoofdijzerSj  as  the  name  implies,  were,  probably,  in 
ancient  times  made  of  iron;  but  at  a  less  remote  period,  the 
farmers  having  become  exceedingly  wealthy  (as  they  still 
have  the  reputation  of  being),  were  doubtless  not  content 
to  see  their  wives  and  daughters  wearing  ornaments  of  in- 
ferior value;  and  this  is  said  to  have  given  rise  to  the  em- 
ployment of  the  more  precious  metals  in  the  manufacture 
of  such  articles.  It  has  long  been  the  custom  for  parents 
to  present  their  children  with  these  hoofdijzen  on  the  day 
on  which  they  are  confirmed  by  the  clergyman  of  the  district. 
Thus  the  ornaments  are  handed  down  as  heirlooms  from 
one  generation  to  another,  and  have  a  value  attached  to  them 
far  above  their  intrinsic  worth. 

The  most  peculiar  costumes  are  to  be  found  among  the 
islanders  of  the  north  of  Holland.  Some  of  the  women 
are  dressed  in  garments  which  give  them  the  appearance  of 
a  semi-barbarous  race;  while  the  men  are  mostly  attired  in 
enormously  wide  breeches,  and  loosely  fitting  jackets,  made 
of  exceedingly  coarse  and  strong  materials. 

The  male  peasants  of  Zealand  usually  wear  jackets  and 
knee-breeches  of  black  velveteen,  grey  worsted  stockings, 
scarlet  waistcoats,  closed  entirely  to  the  throat,  and  having 
in  front  a  row  of  silver  buttons,  as  closely  set  together  as  it 
is  possible  for  them  to  be;  while  two  large  silver  bosses  are 
attached  to  a  belt  round  the  waist.  The  partiality  for  but- 
tons exhibited  by  the  Zealanders  is  remarkable.  To  judge 
from  the  number  they  wear  on  their  garments,  one  would 
suppose  dressing  and  undressing  to  be  with  them  an  ex- 
ceedingly tedious  process. 


298  HOLLAND 

The  chief  amusement  of  the  frequenters  of  the  Ker- 
messe  appears  to  be  for  the  men  and  women,  youths  and 
girls  (who  come,  as  I  have  said,  from  all  parts  of  the 
country),  to  join  hand  in  hand,  six  or  eight  together,  and 
dance,  or  rather  jump,  through  the  streets,  heedless  of  ob- 
stacles, and  singing  a  monotonous  kind  of  song  or  chant, 
to  which,  by  their  movements,  they  endeavour  to  keep  time. 
The  exercise  is  continued  at  intervals,  until  they  become 
thoroughly  exhausted,  which  happy  consummation,  however, 
seldom  takes  place  until  two  or  three  o'clock  the  following 
morning.  Frequently  several  excited  parties,  moving  in  op- 
posite directions,  come  into  contact  in  the  narrow  thorough- 
fares, thus  occasioning  great  laughter,  hustling  and  confu- 
sion, to  the  infinite  enjoyment  of  all  concerned. 

The  appearance  of  respectably-dressed  well-to-do  farmers' 
wives  and  daughters,  with  bonnets  decked  with  flowers  and 
ribbons  of  many  colours,  deep  borders  of  white  lace  over 
their  shoulders  and  wearing  their  curious  gold  and  silver 
ornaments,  thus  dancing  wildly  through  the  streets,  must 
seem  very  strange  to  persons  unaccustomed  to  the  sight. 
Then  there  are  bands  of  young  men,  chiefly  students  and 
clerks,  parading  the  town  in  various  disguises;  some  of 
whom  rejoice  in  hideous  masks,  wear  false  beards  and  noses, 
and  hats  of  plain  chip  on  their  heads.  These  youths  also 
shout,  sing,  and  dance  in  public,  in  the  liveliest  manner  im- 
aginable, and  contribute  not  a  little  to  the  prevailing  noise 
and  disorder. 

At  fairs  held  in  England  we  all  know  that  gingerbread 
is  an  important  article  of  consumption,  especially  with  juven- 


THE    KEKMESSE  299 

lies  who  delight  in  attending  those  festive  gatherings.  At 
a  Dutch  Kermesse  a  similar  kind  of  cake  is  sold;  but  the 
chief  comestibles  are  small  round  delicacies  called  broed- 
ertjes,  large  quantities  of  which  are  made  for  the  occasion 
and  consumed  by  all  classes.  Booths  are  erected  along  the 
sides  of  the  streets  for  the  making  and  selling  of  these 
favourite  cakes. 

They  are  manufactured  publicly  on  a  raised  platform  in 
front  of  the  booth.  A  fire  of  wood  is  lighted  underneath 
a  metal  frame,  which  supports  a  square  tray  of  sheet-iron, 
in  which  numerous  circular  indentations  have  been  made, 
about  the  size  of  a  crown  piece  and  the  eighth  of  an  inch 
in  depth.  At  one  side  of  this  simple  apparatus,  a  woman, 
dressed  in  holiday  attire,  presides  at  a  caldron  of  batter, 
from  which,  with  a  large  ladle,  she  is  actively  employed  in 
filling  the  moulds  with  the  semi-liquid  mixture,  which  is 
soon  metamorphosed  into  smoking  hot  cakes.  A  second 
female  stands  near  holding  a  fork  in  her  hand;  and  with 
wonderful  dexterity  and  quickness,  to  be  acquired  only  by 
constant  practice,  despite  the  heat  and  smoke,  she  turns 
the  broedertjes  to  keep  them  from  burning.  Those  which 
are  sufficiently  done  are  speedily  removed  by  a  third  attend- 
ant, who  carries  them  away  on  dishes  to  a  crowd  of  holiday 
people,  who  may  be  seen  seated  in  a  sort  of  parlour,  divided 
into  compartments,  at  the  rear  or  side  of  the  booth,  anxiously 
waiting  to  consume  them. 

The  amusements  of  the  Kermesse  are  much  the  same  as 
those  provided  at  all  fairs.  The  travelling  theatre,  the  circus 
well-supplied  with  chalk-faced  clowns  and  cream-coloured 


300  HOLLAND 

ponies,  the  fat  lady  (with  a  still  more  corpulent  representa- 
tion of  herself  on  the  canvas  outside  her  caravan),  the  giant 
and  dwarf,  calf  with  two  heads,  and  performing  dogs  and 
monkeys,  are  all  there.  Persons  who  prefer  another  kind 
of  recreation  repair  to  the  Cafes  Chantants,  where,  at  this 
particular  time,  many  special  attractions  are  provided,  though 
somewhat  coarse  in  character. 

Prior  to  the  Reformation,  the  Kermesse  was  a  festival  in 
connection  with  the  Church.  As  soon  as  a  period  of  penance 
and  fasting  came  to  a  close,  the  hour  of  secular  indulgence 
was  announced  by  the  ringing  of  bells,  and  sometimes  by 
the  flourish  of  trumpets.  A  wooden  cross,  painted  red  and 
about  ten  feet  high,  was  erected  in  the  church  in  front  of 
the  choir.  A  similar  sign  was  placed  by  the  magistrates 
at  the  boundary  of  each  district  and  before  the  city  gates 
and  bridges.  So  long  as  the  cross  remained,  the  indulgence 
to  the  people  continued. 

In  Holland  the  substitute  for  Christmas,  so  far  as  its 
amusements  are  concerned,  is  the  Feast  of  St.  Nicholas, 
which  is  held  on  the  5th  day  of  December  in  each  year,  and 
is  attended  by  a  good  deal  of  mirth  and  festivity.  On  that 
day  it  is  a  general  custom  to  send  anonymously,  to  relations 
and  friends,  presents  of  every  description;  the  recipients 
of  the  gifts  being  purposely  kept  in  ignorance  of  the  names 
of  the  senders,  whereby  a  vast  deal  of  speculation  and  sur- 
mise is  occasioned. 

Juveniles  especially,  on  St.  Nicholas's  Day,  are  continually 
in  a  state  of  excitement  and  expectation,  and  every  ring  at 
the  door-bell  fills  their  minds  with  the  most  agreeable  an- 


THE    KERMESSE  301 

ticipations.  A  good  deal  of  the  fun  element  is  often  im- 
ported into  the  custom;  but,  when  carried  too  far,  it 
sometimes  occasions  feelings  of  disappointment  and  anger. 
For  instance,  a  lady  may  receive  a  large  hamper  from  the 
railway  station  for  which  she  is  called  upon  to  pay  a  con- 
siderable sum  for  carriage;  and  after  eagerly  opening  it  and 
removing  a  large  quantity  of  straw,  may  find  in  it  a  brass 
thimble,  value  one  penny,  or  some  equally  insignificant  gift. 
Again,  a  gentleman  who  is  unpopular  may  receive  a  basket 
containing  a  dead  cat,  while  the  graceful  tail  of  a  pheasant 
and  the  paws  of  a  hare  are  artfully  made  to  protrude  from 
beneath  the  lid,  so  as  to  convey  an  agreeable  impression  that 
the  hamper  contains  game. 

New  Year's  Day  is  another  occasion  for  merry-making 
in  Holland,  and  is  also  observed  as  a  public  holiday.  Part 
of  the  day  is  devoted  to  making  complimentary  visits  to 
relations  and  friends,  and  to  sending  and  receiving  cards 
wishing  every  one  a  Happy  New  Year. 


PAINTING 
E.  DURAND-GRE'VILLE 

THE  influence  of  Italy  on  Dutch  painting  always 
existed,  for  it  is  from  Giotto  and  his  successors 
that  the  ordinary  subjects  treated  by  the  Primi- 
tives of  the  North  were  borrowed.  The  result  was  only 
disastrous  when  the  artists  of  the  Netherlands  had  not  suffi- 
cient originality  to  avoid  servile  imitation. 

Lucas  of  Leyden  (1494-1533),  a  great  painter  as  well  as 
an  illustrious  engraver,  knew  Italian  art;  moreover,  Al- 
brecht  Diirer,  whom  he  sometimes  equals,  exercised  a  great 
influence  upon  him,  without  having  dominated  him.  Lucas 
was  something  of  an  innovator  in  painting;  his  Biblical 
compositions  are  valued  for  their  intimacy  of  expression; 
and  with  his  series  of  card  and  chess-players,  he  created 
genre-painting  heralded  by  the  Dutch  Primitives. 

.By  the  end  of  the  Fifteenth  Century,  numerous  North- 
ern artists,  chiefly  Flemish,  it  is  true,  had  visited  Italy  and 
weref  even  established  there.  How  could  the  genius  of 
Raphael  leave  them  indifferent?  The  first  to  yield  to  his 
charm  was  Jan  van  Scorel  (1495-1562),  whom  Pope  Adrian 
VI.  (born  in  Utrecht),  kept  in  Rome  for  five  years. 

One  of  the  reasons  that  prevented  the  Dutch  artists  from 
succeeding  in  the  representation  of  the  nude  was  the  diffi- 
culty of  procuring  the  necessary  models.  In  Italy  the  or- 
dinary peasant  is  handsome;  his  attitudes  are  spontaneously 
noble;  moreover,  he  is  thin,  and  his  narrow  body  is  con- 

302 


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i   .i 


PAINTING  303 

fined  in  an  elastic  and  firm  skin.  The  Dutch  model,  who, 
of  course,  does  not  belong  to  the  highest  class,  is  lymphatic 
and  fat.  If  you  tried  to  make  him  take  the  pose  of  Mars 
or  Jupiter,  he  would  give  you  a  wretched  counterfeit  of  an 
Olympian  deity. 

Portraiture  was  destined  in  Holland  to  constitute  the 
transition  between  the  Fifteenth  and  Seventeenth  Centuries. 
The  followers  of  Italian  art  produced  excellent  portraits. 
One  of  these  was  Jacob  Cornelisz  van  Oostsanen  (about 
1470-1526),  whose  engravings  increased  his  fame;  he  was 
the  master  of  Scorel  and  his  own  son,  Dirck  Jacobsz  (1500 
1567).  Dirck  represented  at  this  early  period  guilds  of 
arquebusiers  in  his  badly  composed  pictures  in  which  the 
characters  arranged  in  two  rows  are  painted  with  the  minute 
fidelity  of  a  Primitive.  His  rival,  Cornells  Theunissen,  does 
not  exhibit  any  striking  quality;  a  follower  of  Italian  art, 
Anthonis  de  Moor,  Antonio  Moro  (1512-1577),  pupil  of 
Scorel,  gai'ned  from  the  great  Venetian  painters  nobility  of 
pose,  sobriety  of  colour  and  transparent  back-grounds. 

Michiel  Jansz  van  Mierevelt  (Delft,  1567-1641),  court- 
painter,  was  exclusively  a  portrait-painter,  and  was  over- 
whelmed with  orders.  His  pupil,  Paulus  Moreelse  (Utrecht, 
1571-1638),  sometimes  equalled  his  master.  Jan  van  Rave- 
steyn,  born  at  The  Hague  (1572-1657),  is  without  dispute, 
the  greatest  painter  of  corporation-pictures  before  Frans 
Hals.  Although  in  portraits  of  a  single  individual  Moro 
surpassed  him,  no  one  before  van  Ravesteyn  treated  the  civic 
picture  with  such  breadth  of  style. 

Frans  Hals  of  Haarlem  (1580-1666),  makes  his  appear- 


3  04  HOLLAND 

ance  with  a  whip  in  his  hand  creating  a  disturbance  among 
his  too  serious  models,  and  gives  them  the  example  of  dash- 
ing life  and  movement.  If  they  are  feasting,  he  seats  him- 
self at  the  table,  takes  a  glass  of  wine  and  empties  it  at 
one  draught,  leans  on  his  elbow  with  easy  grace,  turns  his 
head  and  looks  over  his  shoulder,  and  turns  up  his  moustache 
with  the  air  of  a  conqueror.  "  Be  proud  and  joyful  like 
me,  free  and  lively!  "  he  says  to  them.  And,  indeed,  under 
the  spell  of  his  personal  magnetism  these  energetic  burghers, 
whose  only  fault  is  being  a  little  too  heavy,  rouse  themselves 
like  conquerors,  their  faces  bloom  and  fire  flashes  from  their 
eyes;  and,  moreover,  the  doublets  with  their  satin  sleeves 
gleam,  the  sword  hilts  exhibit  their  marvellous  workmanship, 
the  very  ample  and  light  hued  silken  scarfs  are  tied  in  large 
triumphant  knots;  and  so  the  master  never  fails  in  ob- 
taining for  his  dreamed  of  composition  what  he  considers 
the  most  enviable  effect, — gaiety,  warmth,  and  overflowing 
life  in  the  bright  light  of  a  large  hall  with  great  windows. 
If  he  wants  to  represent  personages  out  of  doors,  he  makes 
them  ascend  or  descend  an  oblique  stairway,  which  thus 
breaks'  the  monotony  of  the  horizontal  line  to  the  great 
advantage  of  the  picturesque  effect.  This  is  not  all,  how- 
ever: he  always  desired  that  the  passionate  feeling  of  the 
execution  should  be  in  accord  with  the  subject. 

Although  born  in  Belgium  about  1606  and  dying  at  Ant- 
werp in  1638,  Adriaen  Brouwer  lived  in  Haarlem  during 
his  years  of  study,  and  formed  himself  in  the  school  of 
Hals.  This  great  artist,  who  added  to  the  breadth  of  design 
of  a  Pierre  Breughel  the  suppleness  and  treatment  of  light 


THE  JESTER 


PAINTING  305 

and  atmosphere  peculiar  to  Hals  and  the  Dutch  school, 
chose  his  models  from  the  peasantry  and  often  among  fight- 
ing drunkards. 

Family  life  of  poor  or  well-to-do  peasants  furnishes  the 
subject  matter  for  the  very  simple  pictures  of  Adriaen  van 
Ostade  (Haarlem,  1610-1685).  There  is  very  little  drink- 
ing in  them,  and  very  rarely  disputing,  but  sometimes  there 
is  dancing.  He  gives  us  scenes  of  real  life,  related,  as  it 
were,  by  a  writer  of  the  first  rank;  and,  indeed,  there  is 
no  little  poetry  in  this  vigorous  and  healthy  prose.  Adriaen 
knew  how  to  take  advantage  of  what  he  saw;  he  absorbed 
the  wealth  of  essential  knowledge  from  his  master,  Frans 
Hals;  and  while  young  he  understood  how  to  add  to  the 
admirable  solidity  of  the  Primitives,  the  style  of  his  com- 
rade, Brouwer.  Add  to  this  a  very  keen  power  of  observa- 
tion and  the  wish  to  conform  slavishly  to  Nature,  and  you 
will  have  a  good  idea  of  his  early  works.  He  loved  his 
brother,  Isaac  van  Ostade  (1621-1649),  so  much  that 
posterity  has  also  affectionately  united  them. 

Th.  de  Keyser  (Amsterdam,  1597-1667),  by  his  portraits, 
so  rich  in  serious  qualities,  influenced  the  young  painter  from 
Leyden  at  first;  as  did  Bartholomeus  van  der  Heist  (Haar- 
lem, 1610  or  1611 — Amsterdam,  1670),  although  five  or 
six  years  younger  than  Rembrandt. 

If  in  art  the  palm  were  given  to  the  wisest,  Van  der 
Heist  would  be  the  king  of  portrait-painters.  He  has  not  a 
single  noticeable  fault:  he  draws  and  models  with  the 
greatest  accuracy;  his  personages  are  well  grouped,  full 
of  character,  natural  in  attitude,  and  clothed  in  brilliant 


306  HOLLAND 

and  varied  costumes;  his  accessories  are  executed  as  cleverly 
as  his  figures  and  do  not  attract  the  attention  too  much  from 
them ;  his  composition,  always  reasonable,  is  often  picturesque. 
Then  what  is  lacking  in  him  to  raise  him  to  the  level  of  the 
greatest?  The  boldness  of  composition  and  the  fine  har- 
mony of  a  Frans  Hals,  the  intimacy  and  concentration  of 
effect  of  a  Rembrandt,  and  the  sober  distinction  of  a  Moro; 
but  he  who  has  conceived  such  immense  works  as  The 
Company  of  Roelof  Bicker  (1639),  and  The  Banquet  of 
the  Arquebusiers  (1648),  and  represented  them  without  the 
slightest  weakness,  but  with  an  imperturbable  sureness  of 
touch,  merits  the  place  that  posterity  has  given  him, — a  little 
below  the  heads  of  the  school. 

Great  geniuses  are  bound  to  their  native  soil  by  a  thou- 
sand mysterious  ties:  they  concentrate  in  their  work  pre- 
vious centuries  and  enrich  art  or  science  with  the  truth  or 
beauty  that  they  have  discovered  or  created.  Rembrandt 
is  no  exception  to  this  rule:  not  only  did  he  know  classic 
art  through  casts  of  Raphael  and  by  the  engravings  of 
Mark  Antony,  but  he  drew  from  the  Italian  current, 
especially  created  by  Elsheimer,  his  predilection  for  the 
effects  of  chiaroscuro.  His  two  successive  masters,  J.  van 
Swanenburg  and  Lastman,  particularly  the  former,  were 
fervent  admirers  of  the  German  painter.  However,  after 
a  short  stay  at  Amsterdam  with  Pieter  Lastman,  he  es- 
tablished himself  in  the  paternal  home;  and  there,  with  no 
other  master  save  Nature,  he  began  a  long  series  of  studies 
of  his  parents,  his  friends  and  himself. 

Some   people   like   to   consider   Rembrandt   as   an    artist 


PAINTING  307 

by  himself,  a  painter  rather  than  a  draughtsman,  and  a 
visionary  genius  rather  than  a  painter.  In  my  opinion,  on 
the  contrary,  one  scarcely  announces  a  paradox  in  saying 
that  the  great  Dutchman,  with  his  powerful  originality, 
was  an  eclectic.  He  knew  perfectly  well  the  works  of  his 
fellow-countrymen  and  those  of  the  great  foreign  artists 
of  all  time.  Only  he  knew  how  to  read  in  all  the  master- 
pieces of  art  this  good  lesson  written  in  them :  "  Follow 
my  example.  Consult  Nature  only ! "  This  he  did  up  to 
the  last  minute  of  his  life.  He  knew  all  the  tricks  of  his 
trade;  but  he  never  made  use  of  them  except  as  a  means  of 
expressing  his  dream,  or  I  should  say  to  render  the  aspects 
of  reality  which  were  most  in  sympathy  with  his  dream. 
At  once  very  subtle  and  as  naive  as  a  little  child,  this 
dreamer  was  also  sanguine,  and  often  jovial;  but  his  soul 
escaped  from  the  trammels  of  ordinary  life  by  tenderness  and 
a  "  kindness  carried  to  the  verge  of  extravagance,"  as  a  bird 
flies  out  of  the  open  window  into  the  sky.  A  lover  of  that 
chiaroscuro  that  envelops  beings  and  objects  in  a  gentle 
penumbra,  he  brought  mystery  even  into  the  bright  sunlight; 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  in  the  apparent  indistinctness  of 
shadows,  he  gave  to  bodies  volume  and  solidity. 

His  direct  pupils  are  innumerable,  coming  from  Germany, 
as  well  as  his  own  country.  He  influenced  his  comrade, 
Jan  Lievens  (Leyden,  1607 — Amsterdam,  1674),  so  that 
he  became  his  disciple.  Govert  Flinck  (Cleves,  1615 — Am- 
sterdam, 1660),  attained,  thanks  to  him,  mastery  in  reli- 
gious pictures  as  in  portraiture.  Ferdinand  Bol  (Dordrecht, 
1616 — Amsterdam,  1680),  is  the  author  of  many  remark- 


308  HOLLAND 

able  works.  Gerbrandt  van  Eeckhout  (1621-1674),  is  the 
one  who  most  faithfully  followed  the  master's  doctrines. 
Philips  Koninck  (Amsterdam,  1619-1688),  shows  himself 
a  worthy  pupil  in  many  fine  landscapes.  If  he  had  not 
been  taken  from  his  art  by  the  explosion  of  a  powder-mill, 
Carel  Fabritius  (Haarlem,  1623-4 — Delft,  1654),  would 
have  been  Rembrandt's  best  pupil  and  one  of  Holland's 
greatest  painters.  There  is  a  portrait  by  him  in  the  Museum 
of  Rotterdam,  which  was  long  attributed  to  his  master  and 
which  merits  that  honour.  The  choice  of  subject  and  the 
treatment  of  light  allows  us  to  place  among  his  disciples 
Nicolas  Maes  (Dordrecht,  1632 — Amsterdam,  1693).  But 
when  the  master  was  not  present  to  force  him  to  contemplate 
Nature,  Nicolas  Maes  painted  prettiness  to  please  his  patrons 
in  portraiture,  and  did  this  so  well  that  people  have  thought 
there  were  two  painters  of  the  same  name. 

It  was  under  the  master  of  masters  that  Gerard  Dou 
(Leyden,  1613-1675),  received  his  education;  but  we 
should  never  suspect  it,  so  much  did  his  true  nature  wander 
from  the  grand  style.  Very  clever  in  selecting  subjects 
that  would  please  the  masses  and  a  past  master  in  the  ar- 
rangement of  picturesque  detail,  he  reached  the  singular 
result  of  making  his  personages  mere  accessories.  Because 
he  made  so  much  of  them  and  noted  every  reflection  of  light, 
he  made  them  transparent!  In  revenge,  the  decoration — 
walls,  furniture,  hangings,  books,  lamps  and  all  other  small 
objects — are  of  astonishing  fidelity.  They  possess  in  an  ex- 
traordinary degree  aerial  perspective,  but  only  when  he 
looked  through  the  little  end  of  his  opera-glass;  it  does  not 


PAINTING  309 

occur  in  those  works  in  which  the  people  are  of  natural  size. 
His  most  celebrated  pictures  are  The  Night  School  in  the 
Amsterdam  Museum  and  La  Femme  hydropique  in  the 
Louvre.  But  if  you  want  to  note  the  difference  between  a 
very  clever  practitioner  and  a  true  artist,  it  is  sufficient  to 
go  a  few  steps  away  in  the  Louvre  to  look  at  Le  Galant 
militaire,  by  Gerard  Ter  Borch  (Zwolle,  1617-1681),  cor- 
rupted into  Terburg.  The  subject  of  this  picture  has  not 
the  sentimental  interest  of  Gerard  Dou;  it  is  a  scene  for 
two  persons,  but  really  one  does  not  take  the  trouble  to 
see  what  it  means.  Ask  any  painter  what  the  subject  is  and 
he  will  say  it  is  of  no  importance;  but  question  him  with 
regard  to  its  artistic  value  and  he  will  tell  you  that  it  is 
a  little  marvel,  inferior  to  a  Rembrandt,  but  particularly 
interesting  on  account  of  its  natural  attitudes,  the  broad  and 
clever  execution  of  the  heads,  the  good  construction  of  the 
figures,  and  the  subordination  of  all  the  secondary  details. 
Ter  Borch  was  born  of  a  family  of  painters;  Pieter 
Molyn  of  Haarlem,  his  master,  taught  him  how  to  invent  and 
group  little  figures;  the  study  of  genre  pictures  and  prob- 
ably the  civic  pictures  of  Frans  Hals,  suggested  to  him  the 
fancy  for  those  fine  grey  harmonies.  He  began  by  little 
pictures  of  military  life,  analogous  to  those  of  Molyn,  Dirck 
Hals  and  Palamedes.  But  his  instinct  for  the  most  delicate 
colour  harmonies  developed  ceaselessly,  thanks  to  his  con- 
tinued researches  into  Nature's  truths.  Thus  he  became  one 
of  the  first  among  the  "  Little  Dutch  Masters."  He  has 
no  longer  need  of  "  amusing  "  subjects.  A  quiet  conversa- 
tion, a  music  lesson,  a  woman  playing  the  guitar,  a  soldier 


3io  HOLLAND 

reading  a  letter, — those  will  do  for  him!  Even  the  lux- 
urious clothes  that  he  painted  so  beautifully  are  not  neces- 
sary to  him:  his  masterpiece,  The  Peace  of  M.unster,  rep- 
resents eight  persons  in  ordinary  costumes,  nothing  more; 
but  in  this  little  panel  of  only  a  foot  and  a  half  long  there 
is  a  sincerity  of  expression  and  a  solemnity  of  harmony 
that  render  it  a  page  of  history. 

Jan  Steen  (Leyden,  1626-1679),  is  a  master  who  must 
be  ranked  very  high.  Physiognomist  in  the  highest  degree, 
he  was  struck  by  the  passions  that  animated  his  characters, 
most  frequently  an  elemental  passion, — coarse  gaiety,  bad 
humour,  spite,  anger,  fury  and  besotted  drunkenness;  but 
he  expresses  all  of  these  with  an  extraordinary  frankness  and 
power.  His  dominant  quality  is  the  harmony  of  gesture 
and  action  with  the  expression  of  the  face.  His  habit  is  to 
introduce  a  little  scene  of  comedy,  more  or  less  discreet,  into 
his  pictures.  Was  he  a  drunkard,  as  certain  biographers  would 
have  us  believe  ?  The  number  of  his  pictures  and  the  care  with 
which  he  executed  them  give  the  lie  to  this  assertion,  doubt- 
less suggested  by  the  choice  of  his  subjects.  It  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  this  painter  was  a  tavern-keeper  in  two  dif- 
ferent towns ;  he  did  not  have  to  go  far  in  search  of  models. 

Ter  Borch  gave  lessons  to  a  skilful  painter  of  silks  and 
velvets,  Casper  Netcher  (Heidelberg,  1639 — The  Hague, 
1684),  whose  works  already  announce  the  approaching  de- 
cadence. He  indirectly  influenced  also  a  pupil  of  Berchem, 
Jacob  Ochtervelt  (Rotterdam,  between  1625  and  1630 — 
before  1710),  who  perhaps  better  recalls  Metsu.  Ter  Borch 
was  also  the  master  of  Vermeer  of  Delft. 


PAINTING  31I 

Greatly  superior  to  Gerald  Dou  is  his  disciple  Gabriel 
Metsu  (Leyden,  1630— Amsterdam,  1607).  Metsu  occu- 
pies a  place  in  art  near  Ter  Borch,  not  only  because  of  his 
choice  of  subject,  but  by  his  method  of  rendering  volume  and 
thickness,  very  essential  things.  In  his  turn  he  inspired 
Johannes  Verkolje  (Delft,  1650-1693),  and  Frans  van 
Mien's  (Leyden,  1635-1681),  who  is  charming  and  delicate, 
but  displays  a  certain  lack  of  breadth  and  taste  which  makes 
one  think  of  Netcher.  However,  he  sometimes  reproduced 
peaceful  scenes  of  common  life,  and  some  of  his  works  pos- 
sess true  elegance.  Let  us  take  him  for  what  he  is, — a  little 
master  of  the  first  order,  a  clear-sighted  philosopher,  very 
superior  to  the  persons,  frequently  coarse,  who  posed  for  him 
without  knowing  it. 

Long  unacknowledged,  Pieter  de  Hoogh  (Rotterdam, 
1629 — after  1677,  Amsterdam?),  is  the  one  who  most  nearly 
approaches  Rembrandt  in  his  correctness  and  beauty  of 
chiaroscuro.  Moreover  he  borrowed  from  his  master, 
Berghem,  a  very  strong  taste  for  the  frank  sunlight;  he 
was  not  a  direct  pupil  of  Rembrandt,  whom  he  did  not 
know  till  1668;  but,  as  M.  Henry  Havard  remarks,  he 
knew  at  Delft,  Vermeer,  who  was  the  friend  of  Carel 
Fabritius,  and  this  explains  the  correlation.  To  animate 
the  interiors  or  exteriors  of  his  middle-class,  and  nearly 
always  weathly  houses,  two  or  three  .figures,  and  indeed 
sometimes  but  one  person,  are  needed.  Without  sacrificing 
their  correctness,  he  always  subordinates  them  to  the  prin- 
cipal character  which  really  is  the  light,  sometimes  direct 
and  sometimes  reflected  from  a  court-yard  in  the  background 


3 12  HOLLAND 

through  an  open  door.  He  has  no  great  winged  dreams; 
but  no  artist,  Rembrandt  excepted,  has  understood  and  ex- 
pressed as  he  does,  the  deep  and  intimate  calm  of  a  house 
into  which  a  ray  of  Holland's  gentle  sunlight  strays. 

Johannes  Vermeer  (Delft,  1632-1675),  commonly  called 
Van  der  Meer  of  Delft,  benefited  as  Hobbema  did  by  a 
recrudescence  of  glory;  he  very  admirably  understood  the 
laws  of  light,  and  his  picture  of  The  Letter  in  the  Dresden 
Museum,  was  long  thought  to  be  by  Pieter  de  Hoogh. 

Notwithstanding  the  admirable  landscapes  of  the  Dutch 
Primitives,  pure  landscape  had  its  birth  in  Flanders.  In 
the  paintings  by  Patinier  (who  died  in  1524),  the  country 
is  a  little  too  much  composed,  but  the  feeling  is  already  very 
sincere;  Pierre  Breughel  the  Elder  placed  numerous  per- 
sons in  scenery  scrupulously  copied  from  Nature. 

But  the  first  great  landscape-painter,  the  precursor  of 
Rembrandt  in  this  branch,  is  Hercules  Seghers  (Amsterdam 
1590 — about  1630),  pupil  of  Coninxloo.  His  rare  paintings 
and  his  admirable  water-colours  represent  vast  plains  bor- 
dered with  rocks. 

Pieter  Molyn  (London,  about  1590 — Haarlem,  1661),  is 
also  a  precursor.  His  landscapes,  thought  to  have  been  influ- 
enced by  Van  Goyen,  are  significant  when  we  learn  that  he 
was  the  elder  of  the  two.  But  this  does  not  lessen  the  impor- 
tance of  Jan  van  Goyen  (Leyden,  1596-1656).  Pupil  of 
Esa'ias  van  de  Velde,  he  learned  from  him  the  art  of  placing 
his  personages  in  very  correct  attitudes.  Having  thoroughly 
developed,  he  chose  one  of  the  most  striking  aspects  of  Hol- 
land,— the  life  of  the  rivers  with  distant  horizons  beneath 


PAINTING  3 , 3 

vast  skies.  Despite  the  rapidity  with  which  he  painted  his 
very  luminous  masterpieces,  and  the  price  of  from  ten  to 
twenty  florins  that  he  was  paid  for  them,  he  had  no  assured 
living.  He  became  a  tulip  merchant  and  then  a  picture- 
dealer,  but  evil  overtook  him.  The  works  of  his  last  period 
are,  perhaps,  his  best. 

Among  other  national  painters  who  were  inspired  by 
Nature  are:  Joris  van  der  Hagen  (The  Hague,  about  1615- 
1669),  whose  somewhat  slight  work  does  not  exclude  a  very 
lively  feeling  for  Nature;  Philipps  Koninck  (Amsterdam, 
1619-1688),  who  loved,  like  his  master,  Rembrandt,  immense 
landscapes  streaked  with  shadows;  and  also  Jan  Wynants 
(Haarlem,  1620-5 -after  1671),  perhaps  overcharged  and 
somewhat  lacking  in  breadth,  but  so  delicate  in  his  treat- 
ment of  dunes.  The  latter  has  the  merit  of  forming  Adriaen 
van  de  Velde  and  inspiring  the  celebrated  Philips  Wouwer- 
man  (Haarlem,  1619-1668),  who  made  his  landscapes  the 
scenes  of  hunting  and  war.  In  his  turn,  Philipps  was  the 
master  of  his  two  brothers,  Pieter  and  Jan,  who  followed  him 
in  unequal  distances. 

Aart  van  der  Neer  (Amsterdam,  1603-1677),  deserves 
more  than  a  rapid  mention.  It  is  not  because  of  his  compo- 
sition, although  it  is  very  broad,  but  he  has  such  a  great 
feeling  for  effect.  His  silhouettes,  his  simple  masses  and 
frankly-placed  values  express  the  poetic  melancholy  of  moon- 
lights, snow  scenes,  sunrises  and  sunsets. 

Son-in-law  of  a  painter  on  glass,  son  of  Jacob  Cuyp,  who 
was  a  very  remarkable  portrait-painter,  and  nephew  of  Ben- 
jamin Cuyp,  who  was  a  very  clever  disciple  of  Rembrandt, 


3 14  HOLLAND 

Aelbert  Cuyp  (Dordrecht,  1620-1691),  formed  in  a  good 
school,  deserves  the  title  of  "  the  king  of  Dutch  landscape- 
painters;  "  and  he  was  more  than  that,  for  nobody  ever 
painted  better  than  he  those  half-real  portraits  of  gentlemen 
on  horseback  that  made  his  worldly  success.  He  gave  dis- 
tinction to  the  humblest  creatures:  The  Combat  between  a 
Turkey  and  a  Cock,  attributed  to  him  in  the  Amsterdam 
Museum,  is  of  incomparable  fidelity,  fury  of  action  and  har- 
monious chiaroscuro.  His  education  was  accomplished  under 
his  father,  and  his  first  pictures  were  of  the  monochromatic 
greyish  hues  of  Van  Goyen's;  but  at  length  he  travelled,  as 
certain  of  his  mountainous  landscapes  prove.  He  crossed  the 
Rhine.  Did  he  go  as  far  as  Italy?  Did  he  know  Claude 
Lorraine?  After  all  this  matters  not:  he  is  the  eloquent 
master  of  the  streaming  light.  Without  any  other  artifice 
than  the  frequent  use  of  a  shadow  in  the  foreground,  he 
distributes  the  rays  of  the  sun  with  their  infinite  shades  as 
far  as  indistinct  limit  of  the  vague  hills,  upon  which  silhou- 
ettes of  towns  mingle  in  the  silvery  vapour  of  the  horizon. 
As  for  his  skies,  so  gentle,  opulent  and  caressing  to  the  eye, 
they  are  the  real  charm  of  his  landscapes:  as  soon  as  we  lift 
our  gaze  upon  them  those  beautiful  light-hued  cows  that 
graze  and  those  elegant  gentlemen  on  horseback  that  inter- 
ested us  so  much  in  the  enveloping  light  fade  away,  and  our 
glance  never  leaves  those  vaporous  clouds,  once  mother-of- 
pearl,  but  to-day  golden,  across  which  you  feel,  as  Corot  said, 
"  birds  could  fly."  It  also  pleased  Cuyp  to  paint  many  barks 
on  the  Maas,  and  he  became  the  broadest,  richest  and  most 
flexible  of  the  Dutch  marine-painters. 


PAINTING  3!5 

What  shall  we  do  with  Jacob  van  Ruysdael  (Haarlem, 
1628  or  1629 — Amsterdam,  1682)  ?  Why,  give  him  a  high 
place  on  a  neighbouring  peak.  He  is  the  most  Dutch  of  all 
landscapists,  never  having  left  his  native  land.  Generally 
speaking,  his  pictures  have  greatly  darkened  in  the  skies 
because  he  painted  a  sombre  background  and  in  his  verdure 
because  he  loved  to  use  a  very  dark  green.  His  early  works 
have  retained  their  clearness,  because  he  represented  the  grey- 
ish verdure  of  the  dunes  and  the  woods  near  Haarlem 
beneath  the  bright  sunlight  only  half-veiled  by  clouds.  His 
deep  melancholy  came  later,  after  he  had  established  himself, 
miserable  enough,  in  Amsterdam  about  1660.  What  espe- 
cially characterises  Jacob  van  Ruysdael  is  the  extreme  con- 
scientiousness of  his  execution,  sometimes  carried  almost  to 
excess;  but  when  he  succeeds  in  enveloping  all  details  in  a 
powerful  unity,  the  impression  is  received  of  a  deep  poetic 
feeling  that  seems  to  issue  from  Nature  herself  without  the 
intervention  of  the  artist.  Let  us  add  that  his  skies,  covered 
or  scattered  with  great  storm-clouds,  are  incomparable  in 
their  correct  modelling,  and  that  his  cascades,  imitated  from 
Aelaert  van  Everdingen  (1626-1695),  greatly  surpass  their 
model.  As  for  his  marines,  we  can  appreciate  them  by  the 
fact  that  for  many  years  his  Storm,  placed  in  the  Louvre  by 
the  side  of  Rembrandt's  Good  Samaritan,  is  the  only  picture 
that  can  hold  its  own  with  that  terrible  neighbour. 

Meyndert  Hobbema  (Amsterdam,  1637-8-1709,  is  a 
Jacob  Ruysdael  minus  the  poetry  and  unity;  but  in  default 
of  these  supreme  qualities  you  find  in  him  many  picturesque 
ones, — the  transparence  of  running  water,  the  brilliant  red 


316  HOLLAND 

of  tiled  roofs,  and  strange  silhouettes.  In  his  best  moments, 
Hobbema  really  approaches  his  master,  and  many  of  his  works 
have  been  sold  for  Ruysdaels. 

Three  painters  have  given  the  most  important  place  to 
the  human  or  animal  figures  that  ornament  their  landscapes. 
Like  many  other  Dutch  artists,  Carel  du  Jardin  (Amsterdam, 
1622 — Venice,  1678),  greatly  profited  by  his  sojourn  in  Italy. 
A  pupil  of  Berchem,  he  greatly  surpassed  him  in  sincerity. 

Adriaen  van  de  Velde  (Amsterdam,  1635  or  1636-1672), 
was  very  prolific  during  his  short  existence  and  possessed 
judgment,  skilfulness  and  incomparable  taste.  In  his  pic- 
tures, Italian  in  style,  although  he  never  went  to  Italy,  figures 
and  animals  are  modelled  most  faithfully  in  the  light. 

Son  of  a  glass-painter,  who  painted  many  good  military 
scenes,  Paul  Potter  (Enkhuisen,  1625 — Amsterdam,  1654), 
was  a  pupil  of  Van  de  Velde  and  Moeyaert.  During  his 
artistic  career — which  only  lasted  ten  years,  so  precocious 
was  he — Potter  lived  in  Haarlem,  Delft,  The  Hague,  and, 
finally,  Amsterdam;  but  notwithstanding  these  moves,  he 
produced  over  a  hundred  works.  Perhaps  to  him  the  best 
paintings  of  his  imitators  have  been  attributed,  among  others, 
those  of  Albert  Klomp  (Amsterdam,  1618-1688),  whose  first 
pictures  are  dated  after  Potter's  death.  Ten  works  a  year, 
without  counting  drawings  and  excellent  water-colours,  are 
difficult  to  admit,  particularly  when  they  are  by  an  artist  of 
such  extraordinary  carefulness.  He  composed  little;  he 
merely  opened  his  window  on  the  meadow  and  observed. 
As  for  the  Young  Bull  at  The  Hague,  that  is  a  work  of  which 
much  good  and  bad  may  be  said.  It  is  true  that  the  composi- 


:   £ 


PAINTING  3 1 7 

tion  of  this  picture  is  na'ive,  that  the  figure  of  the  man  is 
weak,  which,  owing  to  the  splendid  accuracy  of  the  bull, 
seems  to  be  of  the  hardness  of  metal,  and  that  the  whites  in  the 
work  are  somewhat  chalky ;  but  the  distant  meadow  is  lumi- 
nous, the  bull  is  proudly  drawn,  his  hide  being  naturally 
rumpled  into  rude  tufts  on  his  neck,  dewlap,  shoulders  and 
on  his  impatient  and  angry  head;  the  ram's  horns  are  a 
splendid  bit  of  sculpture;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the  old 
sheep,  with  her  supple  udders  swollen  with  milk,  seems  to 
have  been  modelled  by  a  Primitive.  The  white  head  of  the 
cow  is  the  gem  of  the  whole  work ;  that  young  boy  of  twenty- 
two  brought  to  it  a  kind  of  wild  energy  and  intimate  poetry-. 
His  cow,  like  Victor  Hugo's  "  reve  a  des  profoundeurs  oil 
I'homme  ne  va  pas."  No  painter  ever  concentrated  so  much 
life  and  truthful  expression  in  the  face  of  a  ruminant.  After 
this,  what  matter  the  reproaches  of  severe  and  even  just 
criticism  upon  this  extraordinary  work? 

The  early  painters  of  architectural  subjects  made  no  dis- 
tinction of  genre',  they  supplied  their  personages  as  surround- 
ings or  background  with  a  superb  church,  or  admirable 
landscape.  But  the  law  of  the  division  of  labour  penetrated 
even  into  art.  The  first  individual  to  take  for  his  subject  the 
Interior  of  a  Church,  with  or  without  figures,  was  the 
Dutchman,  Jan  de  Vries  (Leeuwarden,  1527-1604).  His 
pupil,  Hendrick  van  Steenwyck,  the  Elder  (Steenwyck,  about 
1554 — Frankfort-on-the-Main,  about  1603),  formed  in  his 
turn  his  own  son,  Hendrick  van  Steenwyck,  the  Younger 
(Amsterdam,  about  1580 — London,  about  1649),  the  master 
of  Pieter  Neefs.  Bartholomew  van  Bassen  (Delft,  about 


318  HOLLAND 

1590 — The  Hague,  1622),  painted  excellent  interiors  of  aris- 
tocratic dwellings  with  figures  by  Esa'ias  van  de  Velde.  His 
disciple,  Gerard  Houckgeest,  rose  so  high  that  some  of  his 
church  interiors,  by  the  beauty  of  their  chairoscuro,  rival  the 
masterpieces  of  Emmanual  de  Witte  (Alkmaar,  about  1617- 
1692).  With  him  there  is  neither  coldness  nor  dryness,  but 
a  breadth  of  execution  that  announces  and  almost  equals 
Pieter  de  Hoogh.  Following  them  are  the  painters  of  towns, 
the  "  exteriors "  of  architecture,  such  as  the  two  brothers 
Berckheyde,  for  example,  Job  (Haarlem,  1630-1693),  and 
Gerrit  or  Gerard  (Haarlem,  1638-1698),  pupils  of  Frans 
Hals.  After  the  fire  of  1652,  the  Town  Hall  of  Amsterdam 
was  painted  in  a  state  of  ruin  by  a  landscapist  of  real  value, 
Jan  Beerstraaten  (Amsterdam,  1622-1666).  Finally,  Jan 
Van  der  Heyden  (Gorcum,  1637 — Amsterdam,  1712),  pro- 
duced portraits  of  cities  that  are  sort  of  "  instantaneous  photo- 
graphs "  of  extreme  delicacy. 

Imitators  are  not  always  men  of  great  talent.  In  the 
Sixteenth  Century,  Hendrick  Vroom  of  Haarlem  did  some 
conventional  marines.  Those  of  Jan  Porcellis  (Ghent,  about 
1580 — Leyden,  1632),  are  free,  light  and  varied.  Porcellis 
had  an  imitator,  Pieter  Mulier  (Haarlem,  about  1600-1670), 
author  of  charming  light-hued  sea-pieces,  and  through  his 
son,  Julius,  he  exercised  a  certain  influence  upon  Simon  de 
Vlieger  (Rotterdam,  1601 — Amsterdam,  1659),  whose  pic- 
tures reveal  a  very  fine  sense  of  the  balance  of  line  whether 
his  ships  are  floating  idly  in  a  calm  day,  or  whether  they  are 
sharply  inclined  during  a  tempest  on  the  agitated  sea. 

Van  Goyen  and  Cuyp  are  not  counted  as  sea-painters,  and 


PAINTING  3I9 

neither  is  Jan  Van  de  Capella  (Amsterdam,  before  1620, 
after  1680),  regarded  as  a  specialist.  He  painted  beautiful 
winter-scenes,  but  his  marines  are  works  of  such  broad  and 
supple  execution  that  they  make  the  Calms  and  Tempests 

of  William  van  de  Velde  the  Younger  (Amsterdam,  1633 

Greenwich,  1707),  pupil  of  his  father  and  Simon  de  Vlieger, 
seem  a  little  cold.  However,  William's  Tempests  are  ex- 
traordinarily correct,  and  among  the  representations  of  Calms 
it  is  difficult  to  find  a  more  exquisite  harmony  of  lines,  values 
and  colours  than  the  Coup  de  Canon  in  the  Amsterdam 
Museum. 

Let  us  place  in  a  higher  rank  Hendrick  de  Meyer,  and 
beneath  him  Nooms,  called  Zeeman;  Dubbels;  Jan  Blanck- 
erhoff ;  and,  finally,  Ludolf  Backhuysen,  who  leads  us  to  the 
threshold  of  the  next  century. 

There  are  some  painters  who  have  cared  to  give  insects 
and  reptiles  a  little  nook  in  Nature's  realm.  It  would  hardly 
be  possible  to  carry  specialisation  farther.  Otto  Marseus 
(Nymegen,  1619 — Amsterdam,  1678),  is  the  Gerard  Dou  of 
this  genre. 

Melichior  d'Hondekoeter  (Utrecht,  1636— Amsterdam, 
J695),  son  and  son-in-law  of  a  painter,  will  be  called  one 
day  the  "  Raphael  of  Birds."  With  him  a  bird  is  not  merely 
a  motive  for  decoration.  A  hen  surrounded  by  her  chicks 
interests  him  as  much  as  a  queen  in  the  midst  of  her  family. 
He  designs  and  models  her  with  love,  rendering  the  struc- 
ture of  her  body  and  the  fragile  softness  of  her  feathers  with 
equal  power.  As  for  the  chicks,  lying  down  peacefully  or 
hunting  for  food,  they  are  perfectly  realistic  in  their  awkward 


32o  HOLLAND 

attitudes,  sometimes,  indeed,  seriously  comic;  and  you  feel 
the  softness  of  their  downy  feathers  as  if  you  really  touched 
them.  Moreover,  Hondekoeter  possesses  in  a  very  high 
degree  the  art  of  making  contrasts,  and  if  he  allows  a  feather 
to  fall  carelessly  in  his  composition,  it  is  to  produce  an 
"  echo "  of  the  dominating  tone.  To  a  genre  considered 
rather  modest,  he  has  brought  the  qualities  of  a  great  artist, 
and  many  famous  painters  of  Ascensions  and  Nativities  are 
not  his  equal. 

Jan  Weenix  (Amsterdam,  1640-1719),  in  some  measure 
approaches  him,  but  he  is  rather  a  marvellous  decorator, 
although  the  extraordinary  finish  of  his  execution  and  the 
prodigious  care  with  which  he  reproduces,  for  example,  the 
coat  of  a  hare,  would  seem  to  contradict  this  assertion.  How- 
ever, such  detail  does  not  prevent  this  artist  from  still  pre- 
serving, with  a  fidelity  already  vanishing,  the  true  character 
of  his  models,  which  he  groups,  more  often  dead  than  living, 
at  the  base  of  a  superb  vase  in  a  sumptuous  park. 

To  find  still  life  proper,  we  must  hark  back  to  Frans  Hals 
and  his  pupil,  Pieter  Potter.  The  latter  painted  many 
Vanit'as,  pictures  intended  "  to  bring  a  thought  "  into  a  work 
of  art,  to  symbolise  the  frailty  of  human  things, — a  death's 
head,  or  a  glass  upturned  upon  a  parchment  surrounded  with 
scythes. 

Similarly,  but  in  a  less  mournful  vein,  are  the  Breakfasts 
by  Floris  van  Dyck  (Haarlem,  about  1585-1652)  ;  those  by 
the  real  father  of  Berghem,  Pieter  Claesz,  of  singular  dis- 
tinction; those  by  Claes  van  Heussen,  celebrated  towards 
1628-1631;  and  especially  those  by  Willem  Claesz  Heda 


321 

(Haarlem,  about  1600-1668).  With  crystal,  Venetian  glass, 
pieces  of  silver  and  the  remains  of  dessert,  this  painter  created 
the  richest,  most  harmonious  and  beautiful  compositions. 

Jan  Davidsz  de  Heem  (Utrecht,  1606 — Antwerp,  1683- 
1684),  is  the  most  illustrious  of  a  dynasty  of  renowned 
painters.  He  abandons  the  monochromatic  Vanitas  for  the 
delicious  and  deep  harmonies  that  he  obtains  with  flowers 
and  fruits  arranged  on  richly-carpeted  tables.  His  schol- 
ars are  first  his  son  Cornelis,  then  the  very  elegant  Pieter  de 
Ringh,  and  Abraham  Mignon.  Must  we  connect  with  de 
Heem  that  admirable  Jacob  de  Claeuw  (Dordrecht,  1615 
or  1620-1676),  who  has  given  to  his  picture  in  the  Rijks  a 
Rembrandtesque  colour  and  effect?  I  do  not  know.  Among 
his  imitators  are:  Abraham  van  Beyeren  (The  Hague,  1620- 
1674),  who  has  treated  fish  with  the  most  marvellous  finish 
and  infinite  diversity;  William  van  Aelst  (Delft,  1620- 
1682),  who  has  painted  game,  flowers  and  fruits  with  the 
masterly  touch  of  an  executant  familiar  with  all  the  difficulties 
of  the  art;  Willem  Kalff  (1621  or  1622-1693),  so  famous 
for  his  "  kettles,"  and  he  does  not  exceed  Juriaen  Streeck 
(Amsterdam,  1632-1678).  But  we  cannot  continue  this 
list,  for  this  genre  was  much  cultivated  during  the  Seven- 
teenth Century. 

The  artist  who  is  generally  considered  responsible  for  the 
decadence  is  Gerard  de  Lairesse  (Liege,  1641-1711).  Very 
clever,  he  certainly  is,  and  capable  of  arranging  a  composition 
according  to  the  aesthetic  traditions  of  Italian  art,  but,  inca- 
pable of  feeling  Nature,  he  treated  historical  and  mythologi- 
cal subjects;  if  he  had  chosen  anything  else,  the  result 


322  HOLLAND 

would  have  been  the  same.  After  him  comes  Adriaen  van 
der  Werff  (Rotterdam,  1659-1722),  a  weak  imitator  of 
Frans  van  Mien's  the  Elder;  he  left  two  sons  who  did  not 
reflect  much  credit  upon  him  and  "  continued  "  his  work  in 
deteriorating,  as  did  the  sons  of  Caspar  Netscher,  as  Nicolas 
Verkolje  the  work  of  his  father  Jan ;  as  Isaac  de  Moncheron, 
the  landscape  painter  (and  not  quite  so  badly),  his  father 
Frederick;  and  Jan  Van  Nickelen,  his  father  Isaac,  a  repu- 
table painter  of  architectural  scenes. 

Louis  de  Moni  (Breda,  1698-1771),  imitates  Gerard  Dou. 
The  only  interesting  artist  is  the  portrait-painter,  Cornells 
Troost  (Amsterdam,  1697-1750),  whose  compositions  in 
pastel,  representing  scenes  of  comedy,  have  given  him  the 
name  of  "  the  Dutch  Hogarth."  When  we  shall  have  re- 
called a  few  flower-painters,  such  as  Rachel  Ruysch  (Amster- 
dam, 1664-1750),  a  very  remarkable  pupil  of  van  Aelst;  the 
celebrated  Jan  Van  Huysam  (Amsterdam,  1682-1749),  a 
somewhat  cold  painter,  but  truly  astounding  in  his  realism 
and  very  clever  in  arranging  his  flowers;  and  his  two  best 
pupils,  Jan  van  Os  (1744-1808),  and,  particularly,  Mar- 
guerite Haverman  (Amsterdam,  i72O-about  1795),  there 
are  no  more  names  to  bring  the  century  to  a  close,  except 
Dirck  Langendyck  (1748-1805),  who  painted,  almost  in 
miniature,  spirited  military  scenes,  peopled  with  a  crowd  of 
microscopic  personages. 

The  Nineteenth  Century  opens  modestly  with  the  flower- 
paintings  of  the  Van  Os,  father  and  son;  the  landscapes  of 
A.  Waldorp;  Hendrik  Ten  Gate;  Koekkock  (1803-1862), 
for  a  time  extremely  celebrated;  Verschuur;  W.  Roelofs 


PAINTING  323 

( 1822) ,  some  of  whose  excellent  nature  studies  resemble  Dau- 
bigny;  the  clever  genre  pictures  of  David  Bles;  Herman 
Ten  Gate;  Bakker-Korf;  Nakken;  Artz  (1837-1891),  who 
has  qualities  like  Edouard  Frere  and  Allebe  (1838),  who  has 
produced  a  few  but  very  excellent  figure  and  landscape 
pieces.  Among  the  painters  who  began  to  work  from  1845 
and  1855  we  must  cite:  Jan  Weissenbruch  (1822-1880),  an 
unequal  but  sometimes  powerful  landscape-painter;  P. 
Gabriel  (1828),  painter  of  the  polders  and  old  mills;  Chris- 
toffel  Bisschop  (1828),  a  portrait-painter  and  a  superb  col- 
ourist;  and  Alma  Tadema  (1836),  the  Gerome  of  the  Low- 
Countries  and  a  naturalised  Englishman.  This  being  done, 
we  will  describe  the  phalanx  of  masters  who  have  conferred 
the  greatest  honour  upon  Holland.  First  comes  Johannes 
Bosboom  (1817-1891),  a  romantic  from  the  beginning,  who 
will  survive  as  a  true  master.  His  interiors  of  churches  are 
superbly  correct,  picturesque  and  original,  and  filled  with 
golden  light.  Josef  Israels  (1824),  is  before  all  else  a  poet, 
but  never  sentimental.  His  persons  have  the  simplest  expres- 
sion and  attitude.  Less  preoccupied  in  rendering  them  of 
solid  form  than  Rembrandt  or  Pieter  de  Hoogh,  he  envelops 
them  in  greyish  harmonies  and  the  trembling  mists  of  the 
atmosphere  he  loves. 

Hendrik  Mesdag  (1831),  is  very  well  known  by  his 
strong  and  picturesque  marines  which  grow  more  and  more 
true  to  nature.  His  brother,  Taco  Mesdag,  a  landscape- 
painter,  is  not  so  celebrated ;  the  wife  of  the  latter  has  painted 
some  excellent  still-life  pictures. 

The  Maris,  three  brothers,  are  painters  and  masters  in 


3  24  HOLLAND 

their  art, — an  uncommon  occurrence.  Jacob  Maris  (1837), 
understands  form  perfectly;  but  seeking  for  precision  and 
correctness  of  values,  he  has  followed  his  dream  in  the  open 
air;  what  strikes  him  is  the  richness  of  tones  in  light  softened 
by  mists, — and  thus  he  attains  to  poetry.  Matthys  Maris 
0839),  also  knows  nature  by  heart.  There  are  more  bel- 
fries in  his  vision  than  in  reality;  but,  happily,  fairy  tales 
are  not  simpler  than  his  works;  and  his  idealistic  manner 
does  not  prevent  him  from  getting  character  into  his  figures. 
Willem  Maris  (1843),  the  animal -painter,  is  thus  described 
by  Zilcken :  "  A  true  colourist,  he  always  paints  his  effects 
in  contrasted  lights.  His  delicate,  light  skies  and  his  solid 
soil  are  exquisite  in  colour.  No  painter  equals  him  in  ren- 
dering the  charm  of  the  Dutch  meadows  in  the  dawn,  with 
the  willow  trees  scintillating  with  dew." 

Anton  Mauve  (1838-1888),  is,  with  Israels,  the  most 
robust  of  this  group  of  painters.  With  the  fewest  lines,  he 
gets  the  sense  of  form,  and  models  a  plot  of  ground  or  a  herd 
of  animals  in  masterly  style.  According  to  Ph.  Zilcken: 
"  Where  Millet  sees  grandeur  and  action,  and  a  noble  and 
tragic  composition,  Mauve  is  moved  by  the  sentiment  of 
intimacy, — by  the  life  of  a  blade  of  grass,  by  the  silkiness  of 
the  hides  of  beasts,  and  the  warm  breath  of  the  breeze;  he 
paints  rustic  life." 

Fleurette,  a  picture  by  Albert  Neuhuys  (1844),  proves 
that  this  artist  knows  how  to  paint  correctness  of  form  and 
the  distribution  of  light  over  a  body  of  elegance. 


STATISTICS 

E.  S. 

THE   Kingdom  of  the   Netherlands,   including  the 
province  of  Limburg,  is  12,650  square  miles,  with 
a  population   of  more  than   five  millions.     The 
Netherlands  consist  of  eleven  provinces,  which,  with  their 
capitals,  are  as  follows:  North  Holland  (Amsterdam) ;  South 
Holland    (The  Hague)  ;  Zeeland    (Middelburg)  ;   Utrecht 
(Utrecht);  Over-Yssel  (Zwolle)  ;  Limburg  (Maastricht); 
Guelderland    (Arnhem)  ;   Groningen    (Groningen)  ;   North 
Brabant  (S'  Hertogenbosch)  ;  Drenthe  (Assen)  ;  and  Fries- 
land  ( Leeuwarden ) . 

The  Queen,  Wilhelmina  Helena  Pauline  Maria,  born 
August  31,  1880,  succeeded  to  the  throne  on  the  death  of  her 
father,  King  William  III.,  in  1890,  but  was  not  crowned 
until  September  6,  1898.  During  the  intervening  years,  her 
mother,  Emma  (born  1858),  daughter  of  Prince  George 
Victor  of  Waldeck,  acted  as  Regent.  Queen  Wilhelmina 
was  married  in  1901  to  Prince  Henry  of  Mecklenburg- 
Schwerin.  She  is  a  descendant  of  the  House  of  Orange, 
which  originated  in  a  German  Count  Walram  in  the  Eleventh 
Century.  In  1404,  through  a  marriage,  the  family  became 
possessed  of  the  barony  of  Breda,  and  settled  in  the  Nether- 
lands, where,  under  the  name  of  "  stadtholders  "  or  govern- 
ors, they  attained  much  influence.  This  office  was  declared 
hereditary  in  1747  by  William  IV.  His  successor,  William 

325 


326  HOLLAND 

V.,  fled  to  England  upon  the  invasion  of  the  French  in  1795. 
After  the  fall  of  Napoleon,  in  1813,  the  Congress  of  Vienna 
decided  that  the  Netherlands  should  be  a  kingdom;  and  the 
son  of  the  last  stadtholder,  William  V.,  was  proclaimed  King 
under  the  title  of  William  I.  in  1815.  The  Belgian  revolu- 
tion of  1830  disturbed  this  arrangement,  and  the  Treaty  of 
London,  nine  years  later,  recognised  Belgium  as  an  inde- 
pendent kingdom.  In  1840,  William  I.  abdicated  in  favour 
of  his  son,  William  II.,  whose  heir,  William  III.,  succeeded 
him  nine  years  later.  The  latter  reigned  till  1890,  when,  in 
default  of  male  heirs,  his  daughter,  Wilhelmina,  succeeded. 
The  family  of  Orange  possesses  a  large  fortune  entirely  inde- 
pendent of  the  throne. 

The  national  colours  are  red,  white  and  blue,  in  three 
horizontal  stripes  of  equal  width,  and  the  motto  is  "  Je 
maintiendrai" 

The  Constitution  of  the  Netherlands,  as  formulated  in 
1815,  was  revised  in  1848  and  in  1887.  The  executive  power 
belongs  to  the  Sovereign,  and  the  legislature  is  vested  in  the 
Sovereign  and  the  States-General.  The  latter  consists  of 
two  chambers:  the  Upper  Chamber,  composed  of  fifty  mem- 
bers elected  by  Provincial  States;  and  the  Lower,  composed 
of  one  hundred,  who  are  elected  directly.  The  Sovereign  is 
aided  by  a  Council  of  Ministers.  I.,  Minister  of  the  Interior 
and  President  of  the  Ministerial  Council,  Dr.  A.  Kuijper; 
II.,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  Dr.  R.  Melvil  Baron  van 
Lijnden;  III.,  Minister  of  Finance,  Dr.  J.  J.  T.  Harte  van 
Tecklenburg;  IV.,  Minister  of  Justice,  Dr.  J.  A.  Loeff ;  V., 
Minister  of  the  Colonies,  A.  W.  F.  Idenburg;  VI.,  Minister 


THE 


OF  HOLLAND. 


STATISTICS  327 

of  Marine,  A.  G.  Ellis;  VII.,  Minister  of  War,  J.  W.  Ber- 
gansius;  VIII.,  Minister  of  Public  Works  and  Commerce, 
Dr.  J.  C.  de  Marez  Oijens.  The  Sovereign  also  appoints  a 
State  Council  of  fourteen  members.  Of  this  the  Sovereign 
is  president,  and  it  is  consulted  on  some  executive  and  all 
legislative  matters. 

Each  -province  has  its  own  representative  body — the  Pro- 
vincial States — the  members  of  which  are  elected  directly, 
and  for  six  years.  The  number  from  each  province  varies, 
according  to  the  population.  The  Provincial  States  meet 
twice  a  year,  exercise  control  over  the  municipalities  and 
elect  the  members  of  the  First  Chamber  of  the  States-General. 
A  permanent  commission  of  six  members,  the  "  Deputed 
States,"  is  charged  with  executive  power  in  the  provinces. 

In  1902,  the  population  of  the  whole  country  amounted  to 
5,430,981.  The  total  area  of  the  country  is  12,582  square 
miles. 

In  1902,  the  surface  of  Holland  was  divided  into  land 
under  culture,  869,442  hectares  (2.47  acres) ;  pasture-land, 
1,186,843;  gardens  and  orchards,  63,016;  forest,  253,179; 
uncultivated  land  (heath),  585,353;  water  and  morass, 
124,223;  dykes  and  roads,  51,019;  untaxed  land,  78,355; 
building-land,  houses,  etc.,  44,519.  In  1903,  the  cattle  num- 
bered about  1,667,000;  horses,  296,200;  sheep,  654,300;  and 
pigs,  882,500.  In  crops,  rye  led,  followed  by  potatoes,  oats, 
wheat,  beetroot,  beans,  peas,  winter  barley,  flax,  summer 
barley,  rapeseed,  tobacco  and  madder.  In  1903,  the  produce 
of  the  herring-fishery  amounted  to  8,586,588  gulden,  and 
no  less  than  5922  vessels  were  engaged  in  the  fisheries. 


328  HOLLAND 

About  three-fifths  of  the  population  belong  to  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church,  including  the  Royal  Family.  The  Roman 
Catholics  come  next,  and  then  the  Jews,  who  live  chiefly  in 
large  cities.  In  Amsterdam  there  are  about  70,000. 

Education  was  made  obligatory  in  1900,  but  private  estab- 
lishments are  encouraged.  Public  schools  are  supported  by 
the  State.  The  returns  for  1902-1903  showed  about  1040 
infants  (890  private),  and  4660  elementary  (1500  private) 
schools,  with  an  attendance  of  more  than  801,000.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  there  are  four  universities,  of  Leyden,  Utrecht, 
Amsterdam,  and  Groningen,  29  classical  schools,  168  schools 
for  the  working-people,  10  navigation  schools,  81  middle- 
class  schools,  a  national  Academy  of  Art,  a  Royal  School  of 
Music,  a  national  normal  school  for  drawing-teachers,  several 
normal  schools  for  the  training  of  teachers,  deaf  and  dumb 
and  blind  schools,  several  military  schools,  and  agricultural 
and  horticultural  schools.  There  is  also  a  private  university. 

The  Army  of  the  Netherlands  is  recruited  partly  by  enlist- 
ment and  partly  by  conscription.  The  conscripts  number 
annually  17,500  and  nominally  serve  for  eight  years.  There 
is  also  a  -militia  chiefly  for  internal  defence.  This  is  called 
the  Schutterij,  and  is  divided  into  two  classes:  the  active 
militia  and  the  reserve.  The  militia  numbers  two  per  cent, 
of  the  population.  The  regular  army  in  time  of  war  consists 
of  68,000  men,  not  including  officers;  and  in  peace  includes 
about  28,357  men  and  about  11,896  officers. 

The  strength  of  the  Colonial  army  in  1902  was  1416 
officers  and  35,220  sub-officers  and  soldiers,  comprising 
12,925  Europeans,  29  Africans,  4239  Amboinese  and  18,027 


STATISTICS  329 

natives.  The  regular  army  is  not  permitted  to  serve  in  the 
Colonial  service,  but  individual  soldiers  are  allowed  to  enlist. 
A  military  academy  is  established  near  Batavia.  The  navy 
in  Dutch  East  India  is,  unlike  the  army,  partly  colonial  and 
partly  royal,  and,  therefore,  its  expenses  are  divided  between 
the  home  government  and  the  colony.  In  1902,  it  consisted 
of  20  ships,  with  3523  men. 

The  infantry  comprises  one  regiment  of  guards  and  nine 
regiments  of  the  line;  the  cavalry,  one  battalion  of  sappers 
and  miners,  three  regiments  of  field  artillery,  four  regiments 
of  fortress  artillery,  one  corps  of  light-horse  artillery,  one 
corps  of  pontooneers,  and  one  corps  of  torpedoists. 

The  Navy  is  maintained  for  the  protection  of  the  home 
coasts  and  the  defence  of  the  colonies.  It  consists  of  nine 
battleships  and  eight  cruisers,  coast-defence  monitors,  iron- 
clad turret  ships,  cruisers,  gunboats  and  torpedo-boats.  The 
navy  is  small  and  many  of  the  boats  of  an  old  type,  but  the 
efficiency  is  rated  as  high.  Seamen  and  marines  enter  by 
enlistment,  and  conscription  is  permitted.  There  are  three 
vice-admirals,  four  rear-admirals,  27  captains,  36  command- 
ers, and  about  440  lieutenants,  midshipmen,  besides  sur- 
geons and  engineers,  and  about  8000  seamen.  About  50 
officers  and  22OO  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  con- 
stitute the  marine  infantry.  In  1902,  the  number  of  vessels 
belonging  to  the  mercantile  navy  was  as  follows:  439  sailing- 
vessels  of  58,056  English  tons;  and  268  steamers  of  338,424 
English  tons.  The  number  of  Dutch  vessels  engaged  in  the 
carrying  trade  between  foreign  ports  was  4011,  with  a  ton- 
nage of  2,620,308. 


330  HOLLAND 

Few  fortresses  defend  the  frontiers,  for  the  most  effective 
manner  of  defending  this  country  is  by  opening  the  dykes 
and  inundating  the  country  between  the  Zuyder  Zee  and  the 
Lek  River. 

The  standard  coin  is  the  ten-florin  piece,  containing  6.048 
grammes  of  gold.  The  standard  silver  piece  is  the  florin. 
The  chief  coins  are  the  gulden,  or  florin  of  100  cents;  the 
rijksdaalder  (2^  gulden)  ;  the  ten-gulden  gold  piece;  ^  gul- 
den (kwarte) ;  V10  gulden  (dubbeltje)  and  the  V20  gulden 
(stuivertje).  In  addition  to  these,  there  is  one  cent,  ^  cent 
and  the  2^  cent  coins. 

The  Dutch  colonial  possessions  are  large,  embracing  an 
area  of  about  783,000  square  miles,  counting  both  the  East 
Indies  and  the  West  Indies.  The  total  population  is  reck- 
oned approximately  36,000,000,  seven  times  as  large  as  Hol- 
land itself.  The  Dutch  East  India  Company  was  created  in 
1602,  and  was  not  dissolved  until  1798,  when  the  colonies 
became  subject  to  government  by  the  mother  country.  The 
Dutch  East  Indies  now  comprise  Java  and  Madura,  Sumatra, 
Borneo,  Riau-Lingga  Archipelago,  Banca,  Billiton,  Celebes, 
Molucca  Archipelago,  the  small  Sunda  Islands  and  a  part  of 
New  Guinea.  For  purposes  of  government  these  colonies 
are  divided  into  residences,  divisions,  regencies,  districts  and 
dessas  (villages).  Java  (including  Madura)  is  divided  into 
seventeen  residences,  each  governed  by  a  Resident  with  a 
corps  of  Assistant  Residents  and  Controleurs,  who  hold  inter- 
course with  the  native  chiefs ;  but  the  superior  administration 
is  under  a  Governor-General  and  a  Council  of  five  members. 
The  Governor-General  and  the  Council  are  appointed  by  the 


STATISTICS  331 

Queen.  Java  and  Madura  produce  enough  food  for  the 
large  population  and  raise  a  vast  amount  of  coffee,  spices, 
etc.,  for  exportation.  The  Reformed  Church  and  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  are  largely  represented,  and  also  many  mis- 
sionaries of  various  societies. 

In  1902,  Dutch  East  India  numbered  8  normal  schools 
with  213  pupils  and  4  schools  for  sons  of  native  chiefs,  with 
195  pupils.  In  Java  and  Madura  in  1902,  there  were  265 
government  schools  with  50,734  pupils,  and  326  private 
schools  with  35,098  pupils,  and  in  1901,  in  the  Outposts 
there  were  317  government  schools  with  47,805  pupils,  and 
639  private  schools  with  34,190  pupils. 

The  Dutch  colonies  in  the  Western  Hemisphere  are 
included  in  the  Surinam  or  Dutch  Guiana,  embracing  46,072 
square  miles,  with  76,798  inhabitants,  in  South  America; 
and  Curagao,  with  five  small  islands,  in  South  America; 
having  an  area  of  436  square  miles,  with  a  population  of 
51,524.  Surinam  has  a  Governor,  assisted  by  a  Council,  all 
nominated  by  the  Queen  of  Holland.  In  1902,  there  were 
21  public  schools  with  2292  pupils;  and  33  private  schools 
with  4860  pupils.  The  religious  denominations  are:  Re- 
formed and  Lutherans,  9543;  Moravians,  28,025;  Roman 
Catholics,  13,300;  Jews,  1158;  Mohammedans,  6071;  and 
Hindus,  11,883.  The  militia  (Schutterij)  comprised  25 
officers  and  438  men,  besides  a  large  civic  guard  and  garri- 
son. The  products  are  sugar,  cacao,  bananas,  coffee,  rice, 
maize,  rum  and  molasses. 

Curagao  comprises  the  Island  Curagao,  Bonaire,  Aruba, 
St.  Martin,  St.  Eustache  and  Saba.  The  Queen  nominates 


332  HOLLAND 

the  Governor  and  his  Council.  There  is  also  a  Colonial 
Council  of  13  members,  also  nominated  by  the  Sovereign. 
In  1902,  there  were  45,260  Roman  Catholics;  7117  Prot- 
estants; and  863  Jews.  In  1902,  there  were  about  36  schools 
with  about  5194  pupils.  The  militia  consisted  of  27  officers 
and  370  men,  and  a  garrison  of  nine  officers  and  196  men. 
A  vessel  of  the  Royal  Navy  is  always  cruising  along  the 
coasts.  The  chief  products  are  maize,  beans,,  pulse,  cattle, 
and  salt. 


THE  END 


